the goodness of lemon.

i cannot say enough about lemon.

which, is why i’m going to say more. i am going to shout from the rooftops. and scream, from the top of my lungs: i adore lemon. i will eat them whole. i’m pretty sure, in fact, that someone spiked my milk with vinegar when i was a child.

andrew also likes lemon. but, generally he prefers traditional flavours. so, when i proposed lemon rolls for breakfast at the cottage, he put his foot down. i put my foot on top of his. we ended up with eight of each. he might have liked the lemon ones more, but he wouldn’t say.

the recipe for the dough is the same for both, but i added a teaspoon of lemon zest to half of it. the glaze is also the same for both. it’s the filling. that’s where the lemon gets you.

sticky rolls
adapted from the kitchn
makes about 16 small rolls

dough
1 scant tablespoon yeast
3/4 cup milk, lukewarm
1 stick unsalted butter, soft
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 lemon, zested
2 eggs

in the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a couple minutes.
with the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour.
stir in the salt, nutmeg.
stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.
change from the mixer paddle to the dough hook and knead the dough for about five minutes of until pliable.
separate the dough into two balls and mix the lemon zest into one of them.

switch to the dough hook and knead each for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.
cover the doughs with softened butter and place in a bowl. cover with plastic wrap and a towel. allow to rise for an hour.

lemony filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 lemons, zested and juiced *
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

cinnamony filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

mix together your fillings while your dough is rising.
literally all you’re doing here is bowl, ingredients, mix.

on a floured surface pat or roll the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle. spread the lemon filling on to the dough and then roll the dough, starting from the long end. slice the dough into 8 even wheels (pro-tip: slice the log in half, then in quarters, then in eighths). place the wheels on to a greased glass dish. repeat with the other piece of dough and the cinnamon filling.

allow to rise for another two hours, covered with a towel, until puffy and yeasty looking.

bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and the internal temperature is 190F.

cream cheese glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon

mix together the cream cheese and the powdered sugar until smooth.
to half the mixture, add the juice and lemon zest and continue mixing.

drizzle the plain half over the cinnamon rolls and the lemon half over the lemon rolls.

consume the entire tray with your husband, friends, niece and father-in-law over a twenty-four hour period. swimming in between lemon roll eating sessions is optional.