Strawberry Cheesecake Sweet Rolls

Doesn't this look awesome? Thank you Carol for sharing another fabulous recipe!!!!!!!!


                                      Strawberry Cheesecake Sweet Rolls 

This recipe is the very first sweet roll recipe I created from scratch.

I had been thinking about making a roll with these flavors for quite some time...to the point of trying ideas for them twice. Neither attempt gave me the end result I was looking for. I wanted something like a cinnamon roll, only with strawberries and cream cheese in the filling. A great idea, but I wasn't happy with the the bread in the center of the rolls-the layers of cream cheese and fruit created too much moisture so it was really wet. They tasted great-we ate them-but I knew there had to be a better way.

Finally it hit me-I was going about this all WRONG! I had a "light bulb moment" if you will.....put the cream cheese IN the dough instead of spread it ON the dough. The cream cheese can take the place of butter, PLUS will give a "cheesecake" taste...at least I HOPED it would. Since I always add butter extract and vanilla extract to my sweet roll dough's, both would be included here, as well as freshly grated lemon zest-something I add to my mini cheesecakes. 


Making ropes of bread dough then forming them into coils like I do when making a favorite recipe for Raspberry "Danish" would be PERFECT for these!  

Cyndy sent me a kaboodle of Lorann Double Strength flavored oils to add to melted chocolate to bump up the flavor when making making candy, flavored popcorn or baking...well, one of the the oils she included in the mix is CHEESECAKE! What better way to enhance the flavor of the cream cheese?  The oils are concentrated so a little goes a long way.  These oils can be found in craft stores, baking supply stores and online.

Instead of spreading the strawberry filling onto the bread dough and rolling it inside, why not TOP the bread with the strawberries?  After all-the image of the cheesecake I had in my mind had the strawberries spread on top.

The final hurdle was to get graham cracker crumbs incorporated into the recipe. That part was easy...instead of adding melted butter to graham cracker crumbs and a touch of sugar that I use for the mini cheesecake crust, I would brush the butter onto the rope of dough, then roll it in the graham cracker crumbs-hence a "crust" on the outside of the "cheesecake" roll.

All that was needed was a light glaze over top to make this creation complete. I added a little cheesecake oil to it to further enhance that cheesecake flavor.


FINALLY-the end result I dreamed of. It's everything I wanted and more. The soft, tender roll has a slight cream cheese/cheesecake flavor, the graham crackers add a little crunch to the outside of the rolls when they're fresh out of the oven and the fresh strawberry topping adds a delicious not-too-sweet finale. The crumbs do soften once the rolls are covered for storage, but that's OK-they still taste FABULOUS!

It's been awhile since I've played with some new ideas on this cheesecake roll theme....I'm sensing some experimenting in my kitchen "laboratory" coming up soon. I suddenly have a few more  flavor ideas rolling around in my head to take these on another tasty ride. :)


Carol


STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE SWEET ROLLS

STRAWBERRY FILLING
1 (2 lb.) container fresh strawberries, chopped
1/2-3/4 c. granulated sugar (adjust the amount up or down according to the sweetness of the strawberries)
2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

4-5 drops red food coloring

BREAD DOUGH:
2 1/2-3 c. bread flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. instant or quick-rise yeast
1/4 c. warm water (120-130 degrees)
1/4 c. warm milk (120-130 degrees)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (light cream cheese can be used)
1 large egg
Grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. butter extract
1/4 tsp. Lorann cheesecake flavor double strength oil (optional)
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR GLAZE:
1/2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. clear vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. Lorann cheesecake flavor double strength oil (optional)
1-2 Tbsp. milk

For the filling, combine the strawberries, sugar and cornstarch in a 10" skillet. Bring the mixture  to a boil, stirring constantly, crushing the berries lightly with the back of a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook and stir until the mixture has thickened.  It will be chunky-that's the end result you want.  Remove from the heat and let the filling cool completely.

For the bread dough, combine 1 1/2 c. flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the warm water, milk and cream cheese. Beat until the mixture is combined. Add 1/2 c. flour, egg, lemon zest, vanilla, butter extract and cheesecake oil. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes or until a soft dough forms. The dough will be sticky.  

Turn the dough onto a floured board. Knead in some of the remaining 1/2-1 c. flour until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. I used about 2 1/2 c. flour total in this dough-that includes the kneading. It all depends on how warm it is in your kitchen and how much humidity is in the air as to how much flour you'll need to add. The dough should be slightly sticky-too much flour will dry the bread out. 


Cover the dough and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. 

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar and spread the mixture out on a piece of waxed paper.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 15" rope.  Brush each rope with melted butter, then roll the rope in the graham cracker crumb mixture, coating it well.  

Form the rope into a coil, tucking the ends under.  Place the coils on baking sheets sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Sprinkle the coils with any remaining graham cracker crumb mixture.  Cover them lightly with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 30-45 minutes.

When the rolls are almost doubled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly press the center of each roll with your fingers to make a hole for the filling. Fill each indentation generously with strawberry filling. I fill the center, then mound and slightly spread the filling on the top of each roll.  

Bake @ 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned. Immediately remove the rolls from the pans to a wire rack and cool completely.


For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, cheesecake oil (if using) and just enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency. Lightly drizzle the glaze over each roll.  Makes 12.

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