easy fluffy eggnog chai cinnamon rolls
Who else needs a warm cinnyroll and a hug right now?
Merry Christmas Eve-Eve, ya’ll! I’m currently nibbling on cookie box sweets and scouring the internet for car loans. Woohoo. Just what I want to be doing on a lovely Sunday afternoon!
I’m hoping to finish all this up sooner than later so I can go look at a lovely Christmas light display tonight – this also depends on the state of my car, which is on the fritz and the reason why, obviously, I’m looking at auto loans. This is a stage of adulting I’ve never dealt with, and one that I really do not want to deal with.
But it’s here, and I’m almost 31 years old, so it’s time to rip that damn bandaid off and hope I come out the other side with my hair still largely brunette. And in tact.
In brighter news, though, it’s Christmas on Wednesday, and that means a good solid brunch is in order. Cinnamon rolls are a mainstay for many a family, and these Eggnog Chai Cinnamon Rolls are a perfect, unique take to spiff up your morning table if you’re feeling like trying something new. Soft dough scented with eggnog, a perfectly spiced filling, and a booze cream cheese frosting to cap it off.
A very tasty mood booster indeed.
Rollin’ In the Dough
I love my formula for cinnamon roll dough, so I rarely think about changing it except with some small components here and there. In this case, we use eggnog as the liquid base instead of milk, for that lovely spiced flavor and rich texture.
First, warm your eggnog so you can poke it with a finger and feel its cozy hug, but not to the point of wincing. Pour it into the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk in some dark brown sugar and a packet of active dry yeast. Let the yeast eat the sugars for a bit – it’ll get nice and foamy. If not, your yeast is dead, just like my hopes of repairing my current car to extended function. *Cries*
Mix in some melted and slightly cooled butter, then an egg. Add 3 cups of flour, attach your dough hook, and knead until the cough starts to come together. If needed, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve a tacky, soft finger feel. I needed 3 cups and 2 tablespoons, but this will differ depending on a lot of environmental factors. And the mood of the cinnyroll gods.
Knead the dough about 10 minutes. Grease a clean bowl – or clean the current bowl, then grease – and flip the dough ball so both sides are coated with oil. Cover with plastic or a tea towel and ALL RISE for 60-90 minutes, longer if it’s very cold. My oven has a nifty proofing setting, but a microwave (do not turn it on), a laundry room, or another warmish and draft free area are good spots, too.
Fill the Void
Next, the filling. Just softened butter and a mix of brown sugar and chai spices: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom.
Lightly flour a flat surface and roll your dough into a giant rectangle. Spread the butter then thoroughly sprinkle the chai sugar. Slice out 12 fairly even strips with a sharp knife and roll each into a spiral. Or, you can do the whole roll into a log and cut with unscented floss method, but I kinda hate that and I always smoosh my rolls.
Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and arrange the rolls. ALL RISE, covered, for about 20-30 minutes longer. In one test I needed 45 minutes because it was cold and dry outside (odd for Florida), so just go by vibes. The rolls should get puffy and sassy.
OR, at this point, after placing the rolls in the dish, you can cover them and let them rest in the fridge overnight. Love me a prep-ahead brunch, yes ma’am.
Bourb-On, Bourb-Off
When you’re ready to rock and roll, grab your electric guitar, heat the oven to 375 degrees, and smash down some sick riffs while the rolls bake for 18-20 minutes.
The frosting is a classic bourbon cream cheese fixture that I’ve adapted for cakes, too. It’s luscious and silky and just bourbony enough to make your eyes widen a little in surprise and pleasure. Bourbon and eggnog are true friends, as we saw first in my Spiked Eggnog Layer Cake.
Mix some soft butter with cold cream cheese, vanilla, and bourbon. Add in powdered sugar and blitz until smooth and spreadable. Frost those bad boys to your heart’s content, slathering them generously with sweet robes of sumptuous sweetness.
Enjoy one while warm. Or two. Or however many your please. If there’s any left, they’ll keep for a couple days in the fridge and microwave up just fine. A nice little treat breakfast to tide you until New Year’s, methinks.
Oh, and final note. If you really don’t want to do bourbon in the frosting, boo you (but I understand if you’re serving to younger folk), you can omit it.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Rollin’ in cin:
easy fluffy eggnog chai cinnamon rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup eggnog, warm
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
filling
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
bourbon cream cheese frosting
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, cold
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggnog, brown sugar, and yeast. Let sit until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Whisk in the butter and beaten egg.
- With the mixer running on low, add 3 cups of flour. Continue adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time until a soft, tacky, but cohesive dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue kneading for 10-15 minutes.
- Grease a clean bowl with oil. Flip the dough into the bowl so both sides are coated. Cover in plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
- In a small bowl, toss together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom.
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Flour a clean, flat surface. Punch down the dough and dump onto the floured area. Roll into a roughly 12 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread with butter, then sprinkle with the chai sugar. Roll from the long side into a log. Use a sharp knife to slice 12 rolls out of the dough. Arrange into the prepared baking dish. Cover and let rest 20-30 minutes longer until puffy. Or, transfer to the fridge and let rise overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the rolls and bake for 18-20 minutes until golden on top. If you refrigerated the rolls, you may need 22-25 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until combined, then whip in the bourbon and vanilla. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing between each addition until incorporated. Crank up the speed to high and whip until very fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Spread generously onto the warm rolls. ENJOY!
Leave a Reply