Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

Once every few months I’ll see a recipe and won’t be able to get it out of my mind. I try to fight it because normally it involves an obscene amount of heavy cream but I never win. Like this one – I saw it and couldn’t stop thinking about it. Then just when I had started to move on with my life, Katie from goodLife{eats} started Tweeting about it. That was it. It had to be made.

If you’ve been reading for awhile you’re probably aware of my love affair with anything rolled. Cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, random creations inspired by Christmas candy, I love them all so this was an obvious winner from the start.

They were everything I hoped they would be. Sweet and tart all at once. I was actually shocked at how much I liked them since I’m not found of fruit and yeast bread together.

These would be perfect for a weekend breakfast. Just mix the dough and shape them into rolls, retard in the fridge overnight, and bake off in the morning! I guarantee whoever you’re baking for will be so excited to see these on the table!

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Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients

For the lemon roll dough:

• 1 envelope 0.25 ounces, or 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 3/4 cup milk warmed to about 100°F or 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 lemons zested
• 2 eggs

For the sticky lemon filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 2 lemons zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter very soft

For the lemon cream cheese glaze:

• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 lemon zested

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a couple minutes. With the mixer paddle, stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.
2. Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.
3. (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.)
4. 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.
5. In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the lemon zest with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles wet, soft sand. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon. (Reserve the juice of the second lemon for the glaze.)
6. Lightly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10×15 inches. Spread evenly with the softened butter, then pour and spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Cut the long dough roll into 12 even rolls, and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.
7. 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.)
8. 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.