Love comes in all shapes and sizes.

I probably use that word too frequently, especially when it is my favorite recipe-reference verb, but it’s true! Don’t say it unless you mean it. I am currently loving these sticky orange sweet rolls filled with strawberries and cream cheese, a pair of blue fitted sweatpants from Old Navy that have become my work uniform after 5 p.m., and this little girl.

I love that my youngest likes to read. And that my oldest wants to restore steam engines when he grows up. I love my other half’s hands and how they are rough from hard work. I love my dog’s freckles and the quirks of my kitties.

I love curling my fingers around a hot cup of coffee when it’s cold outside, a good book that distracts me from all the things I should be doing, and the happy sighs of my family when I make the perfect batch of cookies.

I love when I manage to stay on task and then feel like a list-checking superstar by the end of the day. I love when I open the fridge and it’s full of fresh fruits and veggies. I love filling out papers in my best handwriting with a really good pen.

I love all kinds of things and lots of little pieces of every single day and I come here to ramble on about most of them – starting with the food and ending with whatever is on my mind. These rolls were a recipe I have had in my mind for awhile – orange-scented dough, a simple cooked strawberry filling, CREAM CHEESE. They are sticky and sweet and a little labor of love for the ones you love.

 Make these!!! And sorry I took a minute to get all sappy on you. You understand, right? Right.

Sweetheart Rolls

 

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Prep time

1 hour 30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

2 hours

 

Soft orange brioche dough filled with strawberries and cream cheese, baked, and drizzled with a sweet glaze. Sweetheart Rolls are rolled up from each end so that they bake into heart shapes, perfect for your sweetheart. Prep time DOES include time to rise.

Author: Heather Tullos

Serves: 12 rolls

Ingredients

• For the Dough:
• ¾ cup milk
• ¼ cup butter
• zest of 1 medium to large orange (after zesting, juice the orange for the cream cheese filling)
• ½ cup lukewarm water
• 1 package instant dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons/ .25 ounce)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3¼ cups all purpose flour
• For the Strawberry Filling:
• 7 ounces frozen sliced strawberries
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• For the Cream Cheese Filling:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (see above)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish.
2. In a small saucepan heat the milk, butter, and orange zest until the butter melts. Remove from the heat. Set the mixture aside.
3. In a large bowl stir together the warm water and dry yeast. Check the yeast package for water temperature recommendations - every brand is different! Just a little warmer than body temperature is usually a good guess.
4. Stir in the sugar and the egg. Check the milk/butter temperature with your finger to make sure it's not too hot and add just a little at a time to the egg/yeast mixture in the bowl, whisking well between each little addition. {This will temper the eggs, warming them without cooking or scrambling}
5. After you have added all the milk/butter, stir in the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
6. Flour a clean work surface, turn the dough out, and knead until smooth, about 4 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and set it on top of the warm oven to rise.
7. While the dough rises, put the strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook them down over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and breaking up the strawberries with a spoon or fork to make a smooth-ish sauce. When you have reached a jam-like consistency, remove the strawberries from the heat.
8. In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, orange juice, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
9. Turn your risen dough out onto a floured surface. Press it out into a rectangle that is about 12 X 8 with the long side closest to you.
10. Spread the strawberry sauce over the dough. Then spread the cream cheese over the strawberries.
11. Use a sharp knife to slice the dough straight down the middle (towards you). Cut each half into 6 equal strips.
12. Starting with the side that is farthest from you, roll one strip towards the center. Stop in the middle and then roll the side closest to you towards the center. Where they meet is the top of your heart. Lay each roll in the prepared pan and then pinch the unrolled end a little to make the point at the bottom of the heart.
13. Place the pan full of rolls back on top of the stove, cover, and let rise for 30 more minutes.
14. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
15. To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Pour it over the warm rolls and serve,

Notes

These are best served warm but they will keep, tightly wrapped, for a couple of days.

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