Sweet, sticky, buttery, fluffy and intensely nutty Black Walnuts Cinnamon Rolls baked into perfectly crunchy, lightly spiced swirls!
Plain or Frosted
I recently polled my Instagram peeps to learn whether they felt frosting on cinnamon rolls was essential or MEH. Sixty-five percent felt it was essential. I clearly feel otherwise, as you can tell from these Black Walnuts Cinnamon Rolls, sans frosting. They were the perfect balance of flavour and crunch, just how I like to roll.
I like a touch of frosting on my buns... urm, rolls from time to time, but I am with the MEH-sayers on this one. If the rolls are made exactly to my liking - a light crisp exterior that gives way to a sticky, pillowy, not-too-sweet interior - then frosting need not apply!
Ankarsrum Assistent Original
I rarely ever enter giveaways, much less win anything. So imagine my utter surprise when I learned I won this beauty of a beast in a recent Russell Hendrix giveaway - the Ankarsrum Assistent Original. It is so beautifully designed and engineered, with a plethora of attachments from mill to blender.
The very first thing I made were scones, followed by this batch of Black Walnuts Cinnamon Rolls. I am completely mesmerized by the tandem workings of the roller and scraper. Yup, I'm easily entertained. 🙂
I was in a bit of a baking slump, but seeing this beauty on my counter has awaken my desire.
Black Walnuts
You can use regular walnuts, but black walnuts impart a rich nutty, earthy flavour to recipes, both sweet and savoury. Plus they are packed with protein - more per ounce than any other tree nut, I am told. They are very low in saturated fat and boast an impressive list of health benefits.
I love adding them to recipes, but mostly enjoy them by the handful as a snack, or atop yogurt and hot cereal. They also work well with chocolate.
Fresh Yeast
I first baked with fresh yeast in a baking and pastry intro course at a local culinary school back in 2012. Although I find the smell off-putting, I really enjoy the flavour and texture it imparts to baked goods.
Fresh yeast has a short shelf life (approx. 3 weeks), so it is less commonly stocked in regular grocery stores. I recently found a bakery outlet/supplier that carries the butter-sized blocks. Prior to that, I would hit up a couple bakeries and convince them to sell me a piece.
If you have never used fresh yeast and would like to, here are some pros and cons to keep in mind:
- easily dissolves into liquids and disperses efficiently throughout the dough
- contains about 6 billion active yeast cells per gram of compressed yeast; highly perishable - must be refrigerated and used within 2-3 weeks
- provides the highest moisture content of any baker's yeast
- will activate and die if left at room temperature for too long without feeding
Should a recipe call for fresh yeast and you are not able to find it, follow these simple substitutions that I also shared back in this 2012 post:
- Active dry yeast is 2x stronger than fresh yeast, so use half as much as what the recipe calls for of the fresh yeast.
- Instant yeast is 3x stronger than fresh yeast, so use one third as much as what the recipe calls for of the fresh yeast.
The mixer came with a recipe booklet that includes a recipe for cinnamon rolls, which was my starting point for these Black Walnuts Cinnamon Rolls.
I know most people probably pack the rolls closely in a dish for that pull-apart end result, but I prefer to bake them apart - on a tray or in a muffin tin. That way I achieve that beautiful colour and crispness on all sides.
How about you? How do you like your cinnamon rolls?
Here is a little video I made so that you can see the mixer in action - I am in love!
Special Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 50 grams butter unsalted
- 305 grams milk
- 25 grams fresh yeast
- 48 grams granulated sugar
- 488 grams whole wheat flour
- 0.6 grams salt a pinch
For the filling:
- 50 grams butter softened
- 7 grams cinnamon ground
- 36 grams raw sugar or unpacked brown sugar
- 40 grams black walnuts coarsely chopped
For brushing:
- 1 egg light whisked
- pearl sugar optional
Instructions
Make the dough:
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then add the milk and warm to 37ºC/98ºF.
- Pour a little of the warmed milk/butter mixture over the yeast and use a silicone spatula to stir to dissolve the yeast. Add the remaining warm milk/butter mixture, sugar, flour and salt.
- Turn the mixer on medium speed and work the dough until it pulls away from the sides completely. Cover and allow to rise for at least 30 minutes.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Split the dough in half and use a rolling pin to roll each into a thin rectangular sheet.
Fill and roll the dough:
- Whisk the cinnamon and sugar until combined, in a small bowl, or shake in a jar.
- Spread the softened butter liberally over the surface of the rolled out dough. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture and top with nuts. I did half with nuts and the other half without.
- Roll the filled dough lengthwise and cut into equal pieces. Place the rolls on a parchment covered baking sheet, or in lightly greased muffin tins.
- Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise for at least 20 minutes.
Bake the rolls:
- While the rolls proof, heat the oven to 250ºC/475ºF.
- After 20 minutes, remove the towel and use a clean pastry brush to lightly coat the rolls with the whisked egg.
- Top with a little pearl sugar, if you like.
- Place the tray with the rolls on the middle rack of the heated oven and bake for about 8 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack, cover with a towel and allow to cool. You may choose to top with a cream cheese frosting, but we prefer them plain.
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