These rolls were so fun to make! I had originally planned to make plain vegan cinnamon rolls and had finished the dough. However, I wanted to make something different and more colorful so I used cherries! The cherries alone sweeten the filling and make the rolls moist without using the typical amount of butter/oil a normal cinnamon roll would require. I added some cashews because I prefer the flavor and texture over other nuts (for these rolls at least) but feel free to substitute them for other nuts or just leave them out.
I made these rolls in my solar oven but they will bake perfectly in regular oven!
Ingredients (makes 12 rolls)
the dough
1 cup warm non-dairy milk (245g)
1/4 cup sugar (50g)
1 tsp yeast
1/4 Tbs oil (55g)
3 cups flour (375g)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
cherry filling
3 Tbs vegan cream cheese (42g)
550g cherries, pitted and quartered, fresh or frozen will work
pinch of salt
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/3 cup cashews, chopped (60g)
the glaze
the leftover cherry juice
powdered sugar
Instructions
1. In a medium sized bowl combine the warm milk with the sugar and yeast. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes. Once the yeast has bloomed, add the oil. Mix and then add 240g of the flour, stir together until everything is combined into a very wet dough. Set aside and let it rise for one hour.
2. Once the dough has about doubled in size add the remaining flour and baking powder and salt.
3. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, adding flour when it gets too sticky. Let it rest in a lightly greased bowl, covered, for 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime make the filling! In a medium sized saucepan beat the cream cheese with a spoon until it is smooth and soft. Add the cherries and salt. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes. Put the cornstarch in a small bowl with some water and make a paste. Add the paste to the cherry mix and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Strain out most of the juice for later.
5. On a floured surface roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 1 1/2 cm thick. Spread on the cherries and sprinkle on the chopped cashews. Roll tightly and cut with plain dental floss or string.
6. Grease a pan or line it with parchment paper. Arrange the rolls in the pan and let them rise for 35-45 minutes.
7. If using a normal oven, preheat to 350 F and bake for 25-30 minutes. If using a solar oven, place it in the sun and bake for about 45 minutes. Just keep checking on it because the time will vary depending on how much sun you are getting.
8. To make the glaze, combine the cherry juice with powdered sugar until it is your desired thickness. Glaze the rolls and enjoy!
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