Cinnamon rolls with cinnamon and cardamom with lavender glaze

Today I bring you a recipe with the scent of the countryside and fresh, sunny spring. I invite you to travel to any of Spain's colorful lavender meadows or those of Provence, France, without leaving home, with every bite of these cinnamon rolls with lavender glaze.

Whether you want them for breakfast, mid-morning, to accompany after-dinner coffee, for your afternoon cup of tea, or to satisfy a sweet craving before bed, cinnamon rolls have the virtue of being perfect for any time of day. But, for me, the lavender glaze turns them into a luxury breakfast, although I don't mind having them for an afternoon snack either.

You’ll see that the preparation is straightforward and that you can use the dough rests or the baking times of the cinnamon rolls, to make the filling and the glaze. Plus, I invite you to bake them in a Shallow Casserole or a cast iron casserole, such as the WMF Flavour casserole to your advantage. Not only are they a fantastic baking option, but when you present the cinnamon rolls with lavender glaze directly on it, applause is guaranteed.

WMF Flavour cast iron cocotte

Ingredients

For the dough

• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 200 ml warm milk
• 10 fresh baker's yeast
• 30 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 50 g butter at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk (to brush the dough before baking)

For the filling

• 50 g butter
• 80 g muscovado sugar
• 50 ml apple juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  

For the glaze

• 100 g cream cheese
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 1.2 teaspoons finely crushed lavender flowers

Preparation

For the dough

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, place the flour, salt, vanilla sugar, crumbled yeast and the sugar. Stir a little to combine the ingredients and add the warm milk.
2. Add the eggs and knead with the hook on low speed until all ingredients are incorporated and the dough begins to form.
3. Incorporate the butter at room temperature and continue kneading until you see the dough is smooth. Cover the dough without removing it from the bowl and let it rest for one hour.
4. While the dough rests, prepare the filling. To do so, melt the butter and mix it with the remaining filling ingredients: muscovado sugar, cinnamon, ground cardamom and apple juice. When well combined, set aside.
5. After the resting time, take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle.
6. Spread the filling evenly over the rectangle of dough, covering it uniformly. Roll the dough from the shorter side, forming a cylinder.
   
7. Cut the dough roll into 7 portions, making sure they all have the same thickness.
   
8. With a sheet of baking paper, line your WMF Flavour cast iron casserole y arrange the 7 portions of the roll, placing them so the filling is visible. Cover the casserole and let the dough rise for about 30 minutes.
9. While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 180 °C.
10. After 30 minutes have passed, uncover the casserole and brush the cinnamon rolls with the lightly beaten egg yolk.
11. With the lid on, place the casserole in the oven and bake the rolls for 15 minutes at 180 °C.
    
12. Remove the lid and bake for about 20 more minutes at the same temperature.
    
13. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the glaze by mixing the cream cheese with the sugar until incorporated. Add the crushed lavender flowers and stir gently.
14. When the rolls are ready, remove the casserole from the oven and set it on a rack to cool slightly.
15. Spread the glaze over the rolls when they are warm and enjoy the result.