Lemon Poppyseed Blueberry Sweet Rolls
It seems to finally be spring weather around here. With the warmer temperatures also comes with pollen. Everything is covered in a bright yellow haze. Although the pollen has kept us from enjoying the warmer weather it is nice to be out of the winter blues. No matter the weather these sweet rolls bring brightness to any breakfast or brunch. Giant poppyseed sweet rolls are filled with sugary lemon and blueberry filling and topped with a sweet and tart lemon cream cheese icing.
“These sweet and tart treats are the perfect addition to your brunch menu!”
For this recipe, I used a 1 hour cinnamon roll dough. This means no waiting for hours for your dough to rise. I'm impatient, 30 minutes is all these babies need to rise and thats about all I can take. The faster timing for this dough makes for an easier and a little bit lazier morning. If you want to sleep in longer you can pop these rolls in the fridge after rolling them the night before and let them rise there overnight. Then, all you need to do is let them sit on the counter to come back to room temperture and pop them in the oven in the morning. You should cook them just until they reach a light golden brown.
The classic lemon and poppyseed combination is brought to the next level with the addition of blueberries. You can also easily switch out the blueberries with any other berry. They would be delicious with raspberries, blackberries or even strawberries.
Lemon Poppyseed Blueberry Sweet Rolls
Lemon Blueberry Filling
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
the zest of one lemon
1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen berries defrosted
Yeast Dough
1 1/4 cup whole milk; divided
4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar; divided
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
the juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
pinch of salt
*More lemon zest for topping
Filling:
Combine sugar, and salt in bowl. Stir in melted butter, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Then, mix in blueberries. Set aside while you prepare the dough.
Dough:
Butter a 9-inch round cake pan or oval cast iron baker.
In a small heat proof bowl heat ¼ cup of the milk in the microwave until 110 degrees (about 15 to 20 seconds). Then, stir in yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar and let sit until bubbly.
Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds and remaining 5 teaspoons of sugar together in large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter, yeast mixture, and remaining 1 cup of milk until dough forms. Then, transfer dough to a floured counter and knead until smooth ball forms, about 2 minutes.
Roll dough into a 12 by 9 inch rectangle, with long side parallel to counter edge. Brush dough all over with 2 tablespoons melted butter, leaving ½-inch border on far edge. Sprinkle dough evenly with filling, then press filling firmly into dough. Loosen dough from counter and roll away from you into a tight log and pinch seam to seal.
Roll log seam side down and cut into 8 equal pieces. Stand buns on end and gently re-form ends that were pinched during cutting. Place 1 bun in center of prepared pan and others around perimeter of pan, seam sides facing in. Brush tops of buns with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cover buns loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F.
After rising, bake buns until edges are well browned, 23 to 25 minutes. Loosen buns from sides of pan with paring knife and let cool for 5 minutes.
Glaze:
After the rolls cool for 5 minutes, mix together softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then, add lemon juice, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix until combine. Pour glaze evenly over tops of buns, spreading with spatula to cover.
