Email this article to a friend

This recipe was inspired by The Sweet Life: Natural Macrobiotic Desserts by Marcea Weber (Japan Publications, 1981). I chose to find a happy whole-food medium between intensely sweet conventional pastry and Marcea's macrobiotic version. The dates add whole-food sweetness and moisture. These are wonderful for holiday breakfasts or brunch.

Dough
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Filling
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 2 - 3 cups apple juice
• 2 - 3 cups raisins
• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 4 - 6 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar

Icing
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 - 3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Warm apple juice in a small pan. Transfer to large mixing bowl and add yeast and honey or agave. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes until mixture bubbles. Add eggs and enough flour to form a thin batter. Beat until smooth. Clean down sides of bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 30 minutes.

While dough is rising, make filling. Place dates in small pan and cover with apple juice. Heat to a simmer, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Puree in blender and set aside. Place raisins in a bowl and cover with apple juice. The soaking will soften and plump them.

Return to dough. Beat in butter, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and zest. Begin adding flour to yeast mixture. When it is too hard to stir, place on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean and oil bowl. Place dough in it, cover and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees On a lightly floured board, roll out half the dough into a rectangle. Spread half of the date puree, strained raisins and walnuts on the dough. Sprinkle with unrefined cane sugar and cinnamon. Roll up from the side like a jelly roll. Cut into 1-inch slices and place cut-side-up on an oiled cookie sheet or in muffin tins. Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Bake for 15 minutes.

While rolls are baking, place all ingredients for icing in a small bowl and whisk together well. When rolls have baked 15 minutes, spoon some of the icing on top of each roll and bake another 10 -15 minutes.

Preparation time: 2.5 hours
Makes 2 dozen cinnamon rolls

(See also: "Cookie Primer" excerpted from Issue #18 / Winter 2007)

 Email this article to a friend

If you like this article, please consider
donating to The Polishing Stone,
ordering back issues,
or doing both!
Thank you for making our work possible...

Top of Page