Sticky Lemon Rolls

Happy Friday!

I have a lovely meyer lemon tree.  I've had it for 3 years.  This is the first year that it gave me lemons.

My tree!

I saw this recipe posted on http://www.thekitchn.com/ 

Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

Recipe from the kitchn (direct link  to the recipe above)

Makes 12 large breakfast rolls

Lemon Roll Dough

3 lemons

1 envelope (0.25 ounces, or 2 1/2 teaspoons) active yeast


3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F (warm but not hot on your wrist)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft

1/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs

Sticky Lemon Filling

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

Make the dough:

Zest and juice the lemons. Divide the zest into three parts. Divide the juice into two parts, and set aside. (Half of the lemon juice will be used in the lemon-sugar filling for the rolls. The other half will be used in the glaze.)

In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a few minutes. With the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and one part (1/3) of the lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable. (If you do not have a stand mixer, stir together the ingredients by hand, then turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough by hand for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy.)

Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled — about an hour.

Make the filling:

In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the second part of the lemon zest (1/3) with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles soft sand. Slowly pour in one part of the lemon juice, stirring. Stop when the sugar and lemon juice form a wet, clumpy mixture. (You may use all of the reserved half of the lemon juice; you may stop before completely adding that half of the lemon juice.)

Assemble the rolls:

Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10x15 inches.

Spread the dough evenly with the 3 tablespoons of softened butter, then pour and spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Stretch and pull the dough taut as you roll, to keep the lemon sugar firmly inside. Cut the long dough roll into 12 even rolls. Pinch the bottom of each roll closed and place each one, open and cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour.)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F.

I baked the rolls in a 8 inch cake pan

Sticky Lemon Rolls