Sticky gooey “Cinnabon-like” rolls for the vegan? Yes, you betcha. Any recipe can be converted to vegan one. While these are not the bastion of good health, they are still better for you than the regular ones. Vegan cooking always makes gains with lower saturated fat and no cholesterol. Very important for heart health as you approach 40 (or 45). Anyway, these are from scratch and take 2 hours to make (don’t get all discouraged, oh Microwave Generation).
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 4 cups flour
- 1/8 tsp vitamin C powder (not needed but will REALLY help your dough rise)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup melted Earth Balance margarine
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup melted margarine for brushing on dough
- 1/4 cup melted margarine for topping
- lots of cinnamon sugar mix
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 2 – 4 cups of powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
As with all breads, combine the water, yeast and sugar. Set aside and let rise for 5 minutes. It should be as thick as a head of Guinness. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl (hopefully a KitchenAid with a dough hook) with the margarine and oil. Gradually add the flour, salt, and vitamin C. Mix for 5 minutes with a machine dough hook or 10 minutes by hand. The dough should be very soft and should stick to your fingers, but not leave any residue. Cover the dough and let it rise for 30 – 60 minutes or doubled in bulk.
Get your oven pre-heated to 425 degrees.
After the dough has risen, plop it on a floured surface. Cut it in half. Put 1 half back in the bowl. Roll the other into a rectangle at least 12 inches high and 18 inches long. The dough should be rolled to almost a 1/4 inch in thickness. With a brush, liberally apply melted margarine to the rectangle piece of dough. Cover the dough with a healthy sprinkling of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Next, spread the nuts and raisins. it is up to you how much you want in the rolls. I put about a handful of each. Carefully roll the dough lengthwise like Clark Gable would roll a cigarette (not like I have EVER seen any of his movies start to finish). You should have a nice thick roll.
Grease a 9×13 baking pan. Slice 2 inch pieces with a serrated knife. Take each piece and gently place it in the pan face up. Push the roll down to about half it’s height. Continue this process. You should get 6 – 8 rolls out of it. Repeat the same process with the second half of the dough.
Once completed, you brush the tops of the rolls with more melted margarine and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Place them in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
While the rolls are baking, create the topping. Combine the soy milk, powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, 4 tbsp of melted margarine, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl. Beat with a whisk. Keep on adding the powdered sugar one cup at a time, You will not believe how much sugar 1/2 cup of soy milk will consume. You want this mixture to be like sludge. Really thick. When in doubt, keep on adding.
Pull the rolls out of the oven. You want the tops of the rolls to be golden brown. Pour the sludgy white stuff all over the rolls. It will melt and then harden. Let the rolls cool for at least 5 – 10 minutes. After that, dig in with a cup of stiff french roast coffee. There is no way you will be able to eat just one.
Tags: breakfast