Move over, cinnamon buns! Instead of cinnamon and sugar, we've filled these moist, tender breakfast rolls with tart-sweet cranberry-orange spread. Top them off with a luscious orange glaze for a decadent holiday treat. This recipe will make nine standard-sized rolls or six jumbos (as pictured at right; see "tips," below, for instructions).
To make the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix and knead all the ingredients together to make a soft, smooth dough.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise until nearly doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes.
To make the filling: Combine all of the filling ingredients except the melted butter in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from the heat, and stir in the melted butter. Set aside to cool.
To assemble the rolls: Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface. Pat it into a 16" x 12" rectangle.
Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
Roll the dough into a log starting with a short edge; pinch the seam closed.
Cut the log into 9 slices.
Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9" square ceramic baker, cover, and let them rise until noticeably puffy, about 45 to 60 minutes. You can bake these rolls in a 9" square metal pan, reducing the bake time by about 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the rolls until they're brown around the edges and golden brown in the center, about 25 to 35 minutes; tent with foil if they appear to be browning too quickly.
To make the icing: Combine the sugar, Fiori, and enough orange juice to make a spreadable icing.
Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, then spread with the icing and serve. Store any leftovers well-wrapped, at room temperature, for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Want to make larger rolls? Follow the instructions through step 6, then cut the log into six slices instead of nine. Place the slices in the lightly greased wells of a hamburger bun pan. Press the rolls gently so they fill the wells, then cover and let rise until noticeably puffy, about 45 to 60 minutes. Bake the rolls in a preheated 375°F oven until they’re brown around the edges and golden brown in the center, about 18 to 22 minutes; tent with foil after about 15 minutes if they appear to be browning too quickly. Prepare the icing and frost as instructed.
Want fresh-baked, oven-warm buns in the morning? Prepare the buns through their rise in the pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Next day, allow the buns to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before uncovering and baking; you may need to increase the baking time by a few minutes.
