Lemon Roll

Recipe type: Breakfast

Prep time:  2 hours 20 mins Cook time:  33 mins Total time:  2 hours 53 mins

Yields: 12 Rolls

Serve with a glass of milk or cup of coffee or tea.

Ingredients

• Dough
• 2½ tbsp active dry yeast
• ¾ cup warm milk
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4½ cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp all spice
• 2 large eggs
• Zest of two lemons
• Filling:
• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ tsp all-spice
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• Frosting Glaze:
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Dough:
2. In a large bowl, combine yeast and milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
3. Mix in butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, all spice, and 1 cup of flour.
4. Add in eggs and lemon zest then the rest of the flour.
5. Knead for 5 minutes by Stand Mixer or by hand.
6. Place dough ball into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
7. Filling:
8. Combine sugar, all spice, ginger, and lemon zest together in a small bowl.
9. Really work the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers.
10. Stir in lemon juice and add more if necessary for the mixture to remain thick but wet.
11. Frosting Glaze:
12. Whip cream cheese until light and fluffy.
13. Whip in lemon juice followed by powdered sugar and whip until smooth.
14. Assembly:
15. Lightly grease a 13×9 baking dish.
16. Pat out dough on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle of 12×18.
17. Evenly spread butter over dough and then cover with filling mixture.
18. Roll up the dough tightly, ending with an 18 inch log.
19. Cut into 12 even rolls, 1.5 inches each, and place into backing dish.
20. Cover with damp towel and let rise for another hour.
21. Preheat oven to 350 F and bake rolls for 33 minutes.
22. Once out of the over cover with half of the glaze to melt into the rolls.
23. Refrost the whole pan after a few minutes or frost each roll individually.
24. Serve warm.

I zested 3 lemons for this recipe and it was a great amount. But lemons vary in zesting capabilities so zest what you think is best.

Work in the lemon zest with your fingers. This helps the sugar to really absorb all the lemon oils and you will really start to smell the wonderful infusing happening while doing it.