Budget-friendly Comfort Food with a Healthy Twist

During the cold winter months, Canadians gravitate towards cozy comfort foods for quiet days and nights at home. These rolls—with a heart-healthy Canadian special ingredient— fit the bill with an affordable recipe that doesn’t compromise on flavour, while using some leftovers to add moisture and soften the texture:

Cinnamon Swirl Rolls

Prep time: approx. 2.5 hours

Cook time: 20 to 25 minutes

Makes: 12 rolls

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup (250 ml) unseasoned mashed potatoes, cooled
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) hot water
• 2 1/4 tsp (11 ml) active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) canola oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt 
• 3 1/4 cups (810 ml) all-purpose flour

Cinnamon sugar filling

• 1 cup (250 ml) packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) canola oil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) ground cinnamon

Cream cheese spread

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) icing sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) 35% whipping cream
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
• 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice

Directions

Dough

1. In a medium bowl, add potatoes and all but 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of the sugar. Mix to combine and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the reserved sugar to the hot water and dissolve. Add yeast to the water mixture, let stand until it’s frothy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in oil, potato mixture, eggs and salt.
3. Slowly add in flour until dough becomes sticky.
4. Place dough onto a floured surface and knead in remaining flour until smooth, about 5 minutes.
5. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Cinnamon sugar filling

1. In a small bowl, mix sugar, canola oil and cinnamon until well combined; set aside.
2. Once dough doubles in size, gently press the centre to release trapped air. Reform into a ball and place on a floured surface.
3. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough to form a 14 x 18 inch (36 x 46 cm) rectangle.
4. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over the rolled-out dough. Gently press the mixture in.
5. Starting from a long side, gently roll into a long cylinder. Pinch seam closed. Using a serrated knife, cut into 12 pieces and place in a parchment paper-lined 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, at least 30 minutes.
6. Preheat your oven to 375 (190ºC).
7. Bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan.

Cream cheese spread

1. In a bowl, using electric hand mixer, beat ingredients together until creamy. Spread over cinnamon buns before serving.

Tip: using canola oil instead of butter helps decrease the saturated fat content of the rolls. Canola is a heart-healthy option for a variety of snack recipes, such as stovetop popcorn, scones and churros.

You can find more Canadian recipes at hellocanola.ca.

Source & Photo: (NC) Newscanada.com

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