maple chai cinnamon rolls
Autumn means time to flash our buns.
We may be clothing ourselves more thoroughly – least in some parts of the country/world – but autumn is prime time to show off the fluffiest, most golden buns there ever were. Slathered with cream and peeled apart layer by layer to expose that luscious sugary interior…
Alright, I’m getting too heated. Let’s stop right there.
I’m starting to squeeze into Thanksgiving recipe development territory, even though it’s only September: with the limited amount of time I have to earnestly enter the kitchen, I really need to get my ass going early to ensure I create what I want to create, which this year is an ASSTON. Perhaps it’s a distraction mechanism, but I am hellishly inspired and have the biggest list of shit I’d love to try and, hopefully, throw out there for ya’ll to also try.
But, as always, I focus on what I really want to make on a given day, and I had the biggest hankering to photograph some buns. No need to wait until the holidays to whip up these Maple Chai Cinnamon Rolls; they’re a fabulous brunch option for the weekend or as a little treat set aside for those midday coffer hankerings.
Perfectly rich and indulgent, scented with homemade chai spice blend and frosted thickly with a maple-tinged cream cheese icing…No flaws in these spirals. You can even start them the day before your brunch soiree and finish in the morning, so the aroma of cozy cinnamon greets guests at the door (or down the street, if you’ve got your windows flung open. Lucky bastards to have that kind of weather). Plus, they freeze beautifully, if you’ve got a cinnamon roll emergency on your hands one day.
Happens to the best of us, folks.
Bringin’ In the Dough
My brioche dough is a tried-and-true formula. It yields a very soft roll but isn’t as sticky and difficult as some recipes. Seriously, I’ve tried a few and wanted to throw the shit across the room, except I couldn’t because it’d just bounce right back like a Yo-Yo or plop on the floor like a slug.
First, heat some milk in the microwave. You want to be able to stick a clean finger in it and not recoil from the burn, but it should feel pleasantly warm. Mix in some maple syrup and a packet of active dry yeast. Let it sit until the yeast bubbles up and foams. That means it’s happy, and ready to serve you.
Whisk some melted butter and egg in a large mixing bowl, then pour in your yeast-milk concoction. Throw in 3 cups of flour and start kneading on low speed. Continue to add a bit of flour at a time, about 1 tablespoon’s worth, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and takes on a tacky but cohesive texture. Continue kneading about 10-15 minutes.
You can also do this by hand on a clean, flat, floured surface. Keep in mind the kneading process may be closer to 20 minutes or so.
Once you’ve got a nice fat dough ball, grease a clean bowl with oil, toss in the ball and flip to coat both sides, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
Give It a Chai
We’re infusing our classic brown sugar filling with a blend of chai-inspired spices: cinnamon, ginger, clove, and cardamom. Of course, this may not be the most authentic chai out there, but it captures the essence pretty nicely. Toss it up with some brown sugar to finish.
Pull your dough ball from its slumber, punch it down, then turn onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Roll that bad boy into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread with butter, then sprinkle the chai sugar generously all overtop.
You can go about forming the rolls two way. The classic method is rolling the whole slab into a log and slicing 12 buns out of it with a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss (the latter works better, in my experience). Or, you could do what I usually do: measure out 12 strips as evenly as possible, slice each individually, and roll into a neat little whirl. Much cuter that way.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and arrange your rolls inside. Cover again with plastic and rise 20-30 more minutes, OR pop the dish in the fridge overnight so you can…
Wake and Bake
Das right.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover your rolls and throw them in the oven until fragrant and golden brown. You may need to add a few more minutes to the baking time if you’re finishing them off straight from the fridge.
I like to let the rolls cool about 10 minutes before frosting them with this supple maple cream cheese icing – I enjoy a little cohesion in the garnish instead of a big pile of slop pooling at the bottom of the dish, but that’s just me.
To make the icing, whip some butter and cream cheese together, then add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract, if you have it. The extract adds a touch stronger of a flavor but isn’t required. Measure in your powdered sugar and continue beating until a light, airy texture emerges. I used the full 2 cups of sugar for my rolls, but you might not need as much if your air is less coagulated with humidity.
Spread that gorgeous layer of silken maple goodness over each roll. Pull out a bun and dive right in!
Rolls keep great in the fridge for up to 5 days, or the freezer for a few months. I wrap mine in foil and arrange in a large ziptop bag. Again, cinnamon bun emergencies happen.
Don’t get caught bunless!
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!
Buns on the mind:
maple chai cinnamon rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warm
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all purpose flour
filling
- 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
maple cream cheese frosting
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, cold
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp maple extract (optional)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, maple syrup, 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 maple syrup, maple extract (if using) 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!
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