Heart Shaped Cranberry Orange Rolls
Heart Shaped Cranberry Orange Rolls! Valentines Day is almost here, time to start planning! Whether it is your significant other, best friend, kids, or mom find someone you love and take time to appreciate them this February 14th! To me there are few better ways to share love than by baking! These Heart Shaped Cranberry Orange Rolls are perfect for the occasion!
Valentines Day is extra special for my wife and I, our first date happened to be on Valentines Day. She was in Portland for the weekend and was leaving to go back to college the next day. I had been trying to find a way to spend time with her and finally we had plans. We went up to the Rose Garden here in Portland and played tennis for a few hours then decided to go out to eat. We ended up in northwest Portland at Bar Mingo with no reservations on Valentine’s Day! Somehow we got seated right away, enjoyed an amazing meal and even better company. Two homes, two boys, and a lot of love later we always look forward to February 14th! These cranberry orange rolls were actually inspired by my three year old. He said we should make mom cinnamon rolls for Valentine’s Day and this recipe is what that idea morphed into.
Heart shaped, with red coming through from the cranberries these cranberry orange rolls are just perfect for Valentine’s Day! The rolls are also just the perfect mixture of sweet citrus and tart cranberry! Add a sweet drizzle of orange icing and you have perfection! Take your love one of these heart shaped cranberry orange rolls with a cup of coffee in bed and you can’t go wrong!
Valentines Day Ideas!
Still haven’t planned out what to do for your love this valentines day? My wife and I are going simple, I am making her these Heart Shaped Cranberry Orange Rolls and we are both writing each other a one paged love note! If you want some amazing ideas check out this list on mommyshorts blog! Serious great ways to share your love!
If you don’t have time to bake these amazing rolls check out my favorite cheat recipe! Fruit Topped Cinnabreads! They are the perfect quick and easy way to impress your family or guests!
Making the dough
Warm buttermilk to about 90 degrees (Luke warm), and add 1 package of active yeast to the milk. Let stand for 3-5 minutes. Next in your stand mixer, whisk the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla paste, buttermilk with yeast, and orange zest. Whisk for 3 minutes. Now you will want to add 1 cups of the flour and salt and whisk till combined. Next remove whisk and place dough hook on stand mixer. Now add your remaining 2 cups of flour and mix for 7 minutes on medium speed. The dough should be soft, moist and form a nice ball around the hook. Next place the dough in oiled bowl, cover with cloth and allow to rise for 2 hours. (dough should double in size). Now roll out dough into rectangle 1/4 inch thick.
Filling
Spread out the butter (2 tbsp) evenly across the dough in a thin layer. Now take your chopped pecans and spread them evenly over the dough. Next take your brown sugar and whisk in the orange zest. Finally, sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the dough.
Rolling, Shaping, Baking
Roll your dough into tight roll that should end up with a diameter of about 2 1/2 – 3 inches. Slice roll into 1 1/2 inch rolls. Take two rolls and flip one so they are mirror images of each other, tails of the dough should be on the outside of the rolls. Then join the tails at the bottom of the rolls and pinch them together forming a heart. Now place hearts in greased casserole dish. Bake for 30-34 minutes at 350 degrees. The top of the heart shaped cranberry orange rolls should be just light brown. Remove and allow to cool.
Icing
Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 tbsp of fresh squeezed orange juice. The icing should be fairly liquid in consistency. Once rolls have cooled, drizzle the icing across the heart shaped cranberry orange rolls and serve!
Cranberry Orange Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 8 tbsp butter softened
- 4 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup buttermilk warm
- 1 package active yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 cups flour
Filling
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp orange zest zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Icing
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Warm buttermilk and add 1 package of active yeast to the milk, let stand for 3-5 minutes.
- In stand mixer, whisk the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla paste, buttermilk with yeast, and orange zest. Whisk for 3 minutes.
- Add 1 cups of the flour and salt. Whisk till combined.
- Remove whisk and place dough hook on stand mixer.
- Add remaining 2 cups of flour and mix for 7 minutes on medium speed. The dough should be soft, moist and form a nice ball around the hook.
- Place the dough in oiled bowl, cover with cloth and allow to rise for 2 hours. (dough should double in size)
- Roll out dough into rectangle 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread evenly 2 tbsp of softened butter over the dough.
- Mix 1 tsp of orange zest with 1 cup of brown sugar. Spread evenly over dough.
- Chop 1/2 cup of pecans and spread over dough.
- Take dried cranberries and spread evenly over dough.
- Roll the dough down from the top towards you tightly.
- Cut into 1 1/2 inch rolls.
- Take two rolls and flip one so they are mirror images of each other, tails of the dough should be on the outside.
- Join the tails at the bottom of the rolls and pinch together forming a heart.
- Place hearts in greased casserole dish.
- Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until slightly brown on the tops.
- Drizzle with icing. (1 tbsp orange juice mixed with 1 cup of powdered sugar)
Beautiful and YUM!