The other day, I was at the unholy crossroad of: something is going bad AND I’ve already decided to make something else!
I know you’ve been there, and how guilty you feel if you just let whatever it is go to waste. BUT I also know how hard you work to make that damn menu and screw that thing for going bad in the first place!
Well, here I was…a pint of blueberries going bad, and a half pint of raspberries following suit (they were bad influences on one another), and I’d already promised visitors that they could have cinnamon rolls! What is a girl to do?
Improvise Mixed Berry Panic Sweet Rolls, of course!
I knew I could make a quasi-jelly, and I knew I could make dough – I just hoped they wouldn’t be soggy (hint: they weren’t).
So here it is!
If you need the rolls the same day make the dough now and set it aside to rise. If you can wait, make it in the morning after the jelly has had a chance to rest.
Mixed Berry Panic Sweet Rolls
In a small saucepan mix:
1 pint of blueberries (hold back a handful so they don’t all get squished)
½ pint of raspberries
¾ cup sugar
Let this come to a boil. In a small cup mix:
3 TB Corn Starch
3 TB Water (or more if you need it)
Pour a little of the hot Berry Mix into the Corn Starch mix to temper. Then dump the Corn Starch mix into the Berry Mix and stir to combine. Let come to a boil, stirring frequently (don’t worry about mushing the blueberries that is that the handful you kept back are for, keep them safe you need them later!), and boil for 2 minutes, before removing from heat.
Put mix in the fridge to cool completely (1 hour or overnight if you can – it allows the flavors to mix and the gel to set up).
Make Grandma’s dough:
2 cups milk
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Put 2 cups in a pan on medium [I’m assuming milk – nrb] heat then add: butter, sugar and salt. When the butter has almost melted remove pan from heat. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes. [It is going to take longer than 10 minutes…I had to move it to a bowl and put it in the fridge about 7 minutes. – nrb]
Put 2 packages of yeast [A package has about 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of yeast in it – nrb] in 1/4 c. water [I made it warm water…and stirred it and then stopped, I’ll get clarification later. – nrb]
[OH, I’d also pause here…you are waiting for the yeast to activate and the milk to COOL DAMNIT! – nrb]
Beat 3 eggs in mixer and combine with cooled liquid [and the yeast, I’m assuming. – nrb]. Then add 6 to 8 cups of flour [At cup 4, don’t worry, it will come together. At cup 5, unless you have a stand mixer, put the mixer aside! Trust me, or it will start to crawl up your arm, the dough, not the mixer. I used a spoon, it was fine. By cup 7, I had to switch to hands. – nrb]
Move the dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a warm damp cloth until bulk doubles, about 1 hour.
Once the berry mix has set up AND the dough has risen, roll out the dough into 10 by 14in rectangle. Spread the berry mix over the dough, and then sprinkle the whole blueberries over the dough. Roll into a log and cut 1 ½ wide rolls with a sharp knife (or unflavored dental floss). Place rolls ½ inch apart in a 9×13 greased baking dish, and sprinkle with Turbinado Sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Pull out of the oven and let cool until you just can’t stand it any longer.
Top with the best ever cream cheese icing and take it to work with you to make your coworkers jealous! That’s what I did, see?
