I’m happy to introduce Arianna from The After School Chef, a fellow high school baker and blogger! Along with our love of baking, Arianna and I share many things like being vegetarian, loving exercise, and many other traits. Please visit her amazing blog for more recipes and beautiful pictures!
Hi at 350 readers, I’m Arianna from The After School Chef! I’m in high school, and among my passions of running, blogging, and fashion, I love to bake. I remember when I first started baking at around the age of 11. My first cookies were green, with sprinkles in them. I also recall various burned brownies, and a deflated cake. No worries though now, I’ve practice and gotten much better. :) I love cooking with my mom when I have time on week nights and on the weekend, and I try to bake as often as I can. It is extremely therapeutic and lets me get away from the tons of homework I receive from my lovely college prep high school. Oh, what a joy school is… My blog is only a couple months old, so this is such a fantastic opportunity to be featured on anyone’s blog, especially on at 350. Carissa has been so much fun to collaborate with, and I’m sure you guys will love her guest post on my blog! I hope everybody enjoys this cinnamon rolls too. :)
I come to you guys today with a really special recipe (in my opinion): CINNAMON ROLLS! I made these on Mother’s Day for my mom, and they definitely are mom-approved. She LOVED them, and so did my dad and brother. As did I. They were perfectly gooey, sweet, and comforting, just as cinnamon rolls should be. I added golden raisins to ours because they are my mom’s favorite, but you can easily omit them if you wish!
This was my first time baking any sort of roll, and since these came out so wonderfully I am excited to try more. Maybe hot cross buns or sticky buns next? Although I had never baked anything like this before, it simply requires patience!
They are perfect for entertaining, snacking, breakfast, dessert, etc. I love them, and this recipe was pretty straightforward to follow. I’d have to say the hardest part was waiting for the dough to rise! I highly suggest making these, you won’t be disappointed!
Golden Raisin Cinnamon Rolls with Mascarpone Glaze
Adapted from Alice and the Mock Turtle and Picky Palate
Makes about 20 rolls
For rolls: 1 cup milk 1/2 cup white sugar 3 teaspoon yeast 1/3 cup butter, melted 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon salt 4 1/2 cups flour (might need more to make dough less sticky, about another 1/2 cup depending)
For Filling: 1/3 cup butter, softened 1 c brown sugar 3 tsp cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For Frosting: 4 oz cream cheese 4 oz mascarpone cheese 2 c powdered sugar (may add less if you want it less sweet) 2 tsp vanilla 3 tbsp milk (be careful not to add too much milk!)
Also, I chopped pecans for the top of them!
Warm 1 cup of milk to about 115~120F. Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl of mixer and add milk; stir. Sprinkle yeast on top and stir lightly. Let sit for 5 minutes til foamy {yeast is now activated}. Add butter, eggs and salt to yeast mixture; stir. Add 2 cups of flour and stir with a large spoon. Add another cup of flour and stir. Add the fourth cup of flour. Knead for a minute with hands or spoon; continue to add dough, 1/2 cup at a time, and knead until dough is smooth and not sticky {about 10 minutes of kneading}. Shape dough into a ball and place in a greased glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm place to rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Somewhere around here, preheat the oven to 350F.
Roll dough out to about 16×20 inches. Spread 1/3 c softened butter onto dough. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; top buttered dough with cinnamon and brown sugar mix. Roll from the long edge. Cut dough into rounds with floss. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake rolls for 15~18 minutes, until golden brown. While baking, make the frosting. Place softened cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in bowl of stand mixer or glass bowl; blend till smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix well, til no lumps are found. Spoon over warm rolls and breathe in the intoxicating scent of vanilla, cinnamon, and BUTTER.
Enjoy everybody, hope you love them!
-Ari
