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With summer on the way, give your sweet rolls a seasonal twist: fill them with fresh strawberries and sweetened cream cheese, then top with a sweet-tart lemon-flavored simple icing.

Welcome to the fourth annual #BrunchWeek hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We are so excited to have you join us this year as we celebrate brunch and prepare for Mother’s Day. Thirty-seven bloggers from around the country will showcase their best brunch dishes, from cocktails to cakes, breakfast breads, tarts, and quiche — there is something for everyone! Our amazing sponsors have donated some great prizes for the #BrunchWeek giveaway. Thank you so much, sponsors, for your generosity. We have an incredible giveaway below and we’d love if you would take a moment to read about it and what you can win!

Cinnamon rolls are a holiday staple at our house. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, we have cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I think because those are both cold-weather holidays that I associate cinnamon rolls with winter.

Since BrunchWeek occurs in mid-spring, I wanted to give sweet rolls a seasonal twist. Strawberries were on sale at my local grocery store, and what says “summer is coming” better than fresh strawberries?

For the sweet roll dough, I used Alton Brown’s recipe for overnight cinnamon rolls. I’ve made it several times, and it’s failproof, especially when paired with Red Star Yeast’s Platinum yeast.

I’ve included some visuals below to show you how a well-kneaded ball of dough looks: it’s smooth, and its springs back when you press a finger into it. You can also see the rolled-out dough, topped with the cream cheese mixture and the strawberries. And finally, you see the rolled-up dough, and how it is cut. I use a bench scraper, but you can use a serrated knife as well.

A: a well-kneaded ball of dough, B: the rolled-out dough with cream cheese and strawberry filling, C: the rolled log cut into individual rolls

Don’t skip coating the strawberries in cornstarch. The strawberries will secrete juices while baking, and without cornstarch, the bottoms of the rolls will become a soggy mess. The cornstarch will mix with the juices and thicken, preventing sogginess.

Be sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before beating with the sugar and vanilla, otherwise it won’t mix evenly, and look lumpy.

I love the flexibility of this recipe. You can make the dough and shape the rolls, then refrigerate overnight, and bake the next morning to have fresh rolls for breakfast or brunch. Or you can skip the refrigeration and just bake them right away.

The lemon flavored icing really complements the strawberries well. If you want a creamier icing, you can use a cream cheese-based icing instead (there’s one included with Alton Brown’s overnight cinnamon roll recipe). You can flavor that with lemon extract as well.

Strawberries and Cream Sweet Rolls

Yield: 12 rolls

You'll get much more consistent results by weighing ingredients rather than measuring by volume.

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Ingredients

For the dough:

• 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 large whole egg, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup Dixie Crystals sugar, 2 oz
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled, 3 oz
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature, 6 fluid oz
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting, 20 ounces
• 1 package Red Star Platinum yeast, 2 1/4 tsp
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt

For the filling:

• 2 cups diced strawberries, about 12 oz
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Dixie Crystals confectioners sugar, 2 oz
• 1 tsp Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract

For the glaze:

• 1 cup Dixie Crystals confectioners sugar, 4 oz
• 2 tbsp heavy cream, plus more if needed
• 1 tsp Nielsen-Massey lemon extract

Instructions

1. Combine the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter and buttermilk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk to combine.
2. Add about 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined.
3. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough. If it feels sticky, add 1/4 cup more flour and continue kneading on low speed until the dough feels soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly spray the top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
5. Just before the dough is finished rising, make the filling: combine the strawberries and cornstarch; toss to coat, then set aside. Cream together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla.
6. Once the dough has risen, butter or spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along all sides. Sprinkle the cornstarch-coated strawberries in an even layer all over the cream cheese.
8. Beginning with the long edge furthest from you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness.
9. Using a serrated knife or a bench scraper, slice the cylinder in half; then cut both halves in half, leaving you with four quarters. Cut each quarter into 3 equal pieces. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish. Cover the baking pan tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.
10. The next morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in a cold oven. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes or until they look slightly puffy. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.
11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.
12. While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the confectioners sugar with the cream and lemon extract. If it's too stiff, add additional cream, a teaspoonful at a time, until thick but pourable. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 rolls Serving Size: 1 roll
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429 Total Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 131mg Sodium: 365mg Carbohydrates: 61g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 22g Protein: 10g

I am not a certified nutritionist. This nutrition information is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only.

Adapted from The Food Network

BrunchWeek Beverages:

• Aperol Cocktails by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Grapefruit Rosemary Mocktails by Sweet Beginnings
• Teh Tarik (Malaysian Pulled Tea) by Tara’s Multicultural Table

BrunchWeek Breads, Grains and Pastries:

• Homemade Crumpets by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Apple Cinnamon Scones with Salted Caramel Drizzle by Family Around the Table
• Cannoli French Toast by Cooking In Stilettos
• Cinnamon Cobblestone Bread by My Catholic Kitchen
• Orange Popvers by The Chef Next Door
• Pretzel Bagels with Roasted Jalapeno Cream Cheese by The Texan New Yorker
• Strawberries and Cream Sweet Rolls by The Redhead Baker

BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:

• Apple Fritters by The Suburban Soapbox
• Blueberry Salad with Green Onion-Poppy Seed Dressing by Love & Confections

BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:

• Caramelized onion, Bacon, and Cheddar Egg Tart by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Breakfast Quesadillas with Bacon and Cheesy Eggs by Casa de Crews
• Chorizo Egg Breakfast Skillet by Brunch-n-Bites
• Crab Souffle by A Day in the LIfe on the Farm
• Picante Omlette Pie by Feeding Big and more
• Slow Cooker Ham, Cheese, and Veggie Breakfast Casserole by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

BrunchWeek Main Dishes:

• Curried Fish Tacos by Nik Snacks
• Ham and Mushroom Strata by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Mini Croque Monsieurs by Making Miracles
• Roman Breakfast Sandwich by Palatable Pastime
• Strawberry Chicken Salad by The Barbee Housewife
• Spiced Marinated Lamb Lollipops by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

BrunchWeek Desserts:

• Gluten Free Citrus Pastries by Gluten Free Crumbley

Prize #1 Red Star Yeast is giving one winner an amazing baking set, which includes a mixing bowl, dough whisk, bamboo spatula, rubber spatula, instant-read thermometer, measuring cup, pizza cutter, tea towel, oven mitt, bench scraper, ‘Knead to be Loaved’ apron, 6 strips of Red Star Yeast, National Festival of Breads cookbook, and The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day hardcover cookbook

For more than a century, home bakers have trusted the high quality and consistent performance of RED STAR Yeast. Inspiring bakers from novice to professional, our goal is your baking success! Visit redstaryeast.com for hundreds of tried & recipes, baking tips and how-to videos. Better yeast. Better bread. Every time.

Prize #2 Dixie Crystals is giving one winner 1 case of 2-lb Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, a silicone baking mat, Dixie Crystal’s My First Cookbook, and Dixie Crystals red ruffle apron.

About Dixie Crystals: Since 1917, Dixie Crystals® has been the South’s choice for high-quality sugar and sweeteners. Our pure cane sugar products are all natural, non-GMO and provide consistently delicious results.

Prize #3 Cabot Cheese is giving one winner $50 assortment of Cabot Cheese, one Berghoff Cheese Knife and one Slate Cheese Board

Cabot Creamery Cooperative is a 1,200 farm family dairy cooperative with members in New England & upstate New York making all natural, award-winning cheeses & the “World’s Best Cheddar.”

Prize #4 Vidalia Onion Committee is giving one winner a Martha Stewart Knife Set, cast iron fry pan, cutting board, and fresh Vidalia Onions

About Vidalia Onions: Vidalia onions are unique to a very small region. In fact, they only grow within 20 counties in Georgia (which is also why they are the official state vegetable of Georgia)!
Vidalia onions were discovered back in 1930’s, and just like back then, they are still planted, transplanted and harvested entirely all by hand! Vidalia onions are grown during the winter months, and are only available in stores between April and September,  making them a true seasonal specialty. In order to grow great tasting Vidalias, and to give them their characteristic sweetness, they must be grown in a sandy soil mixture that is low in sulfur (sulfur in soil is what gives onions their hotness). Because of  this sweet flavor, Vidalia onions are incredibly versatile and can be used in any sort of dish; grilling, baking, appetizers, sandwiches, casseroles, and yes, even sweet desserts. Each year, approximately 5-million 40-pound boxes are shipped out around the  entire country – now that’s a lot of onions!

Prize #5 Sage Fruits is giving one winner a Ninja® Mega Kitchen System® with Slicing/Shredding

Sage Fruit Company is a premier grower/shipper of apples, pears and cherries. Not only are they focused on healthy products, but also on helping kids get excited about healthy eating through their free Kids in Force program that helps kids eat more nutrition and get more physical activity.

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Prize #7 KitchenIQ is giving one winner a Lid & Mitt, Edge Grip Quick Prep Knife Sharpener & Pairing Knife Combo, IQ Smart Wireless Nutri Scale, Edge Bug Scissor Sharpener, and Prep & Measure Tool

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Disclaimer: Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Red Star Yeast, Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Vidalia Onion Committee, Sage Fruits, Nielsen-Massey, KitchenIQ, and Le Creuset for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek. All opinions are my own. The #BrunchWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up only. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Eight winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #BrunchWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

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