This recipe takes iced cinnamon rolls and gives them a fresh twist by replacing the cinnamon and sugar swirl with canned poppy seed filling and fresh lemon. Canned poppy seed filling can be found in the baking aisle and is a thick mixture of sweet syrup and crunchy poppy seeds. It’s great in this recipe because there is no need to add any additional sugar to the filling.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 12 lemon-poppy seed rolls |
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for the bowl and the baking dish
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup canned poppy seed filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the dough: Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat until warm but not hot, about 100˚ F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk the melted butter, egg yolks and vanilla into the milk-yeast mixture, then pour into the well and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together into a wet shaggy dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, dusting with flour as needed, until the dough comes together into a loose, slightly sticky ball, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Mash the poppy seed filling with the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl with a fork until combined; set aside.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface; pat and roll out into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. Brush the clean edge with water, then tightly roll up the dough into a log, starting with a long side and rolling toward the clean edge; pinch the seam to seal.
- Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Slice the dough log into 12 pieces with a sharp knife and arrange cut-side up in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Uncover the rolls and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the icing: Mix the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and mix until smooth. Spread on the warm rolls.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 324 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 74 mg |
| Sodium | 213 mg |
Reviews
Do I take the rolls out of the pan after I bake them ?
I made these rolls to deliver to family for Easter as we could not be together due to COVID constraints. OMG! Truly AWFUL! I made two batches and had to throw both of them away because the taste was very, very unappealing. My husband will normally eat anything. He was and said that one was enough and he would not try another. Not sure why they tasted so awful. I think it could be the canned poppy-seed filling mixed with the lemon was just not something either of us liked. 1 star for easy to follow and execute recipe.
Very lemony and not too sweet. Great easy recipe.