Cinnamon rolls with cherries and orange goat cheese glaze

I'm excited to present to you a cinnamon recipe with a renewed twist that marks the debut of our new and charming casserole Noel limited edition Le Creuset. It's an opportunity to share something special and blend the traditional with the surprising. If you've already seen it you're surely with me in saying "It's beautiful!"

This cinnamon rolls recipe is a tribute to the festive season and the fun of cooking. We break traditional rules by replacing the usual mascarpone frosting with a goat cheese one, bringing a different flavor, with that touch of tangy that everyone loves. To add a special note, we include pieces of dried cherry, which give a delicious twist to this classic baked treat.

But beyond techniques and flavors, this recipe is a hug for shared moments and happy times. We want you to enjoy every bite like a gift, while the kitchen fills with aromas that awaken memories and celebrate creativity in every preparation.

The casserole plays a vital role here: allows the dough to bake evenly and perfectly, while it slowly rises to achieve those fluffy, juicy rolls we all love. Also, this recipe allows planning ahead, making the process more relaxed and letting you enjoy these rolls hot and freshly baked on the festive morning.

In short, this recipe is not just about cinnamon rolls; it's about creating special moments, bringing smiles, and sharing a little bit of love and flavor in every portion. It's a pleasure for us to share this culinary journey with you and your family during this special season.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 240 ml milk, heated to about 110 degrees
• 50 g granulated sugar
• 7 g instant yeast (approx 2 1/4 tsp yeast)
• 2 eggs (approximately 100 g each without shell)
• 85 g unsalted butter, softened (approx 2 tbsp butter)
• 5-6 g salt (one teaspoon)
• 600 g all-purpose flour
• 120 g dried cherries (3/4 cup), chopped into large pieces

For the filling:

• 200 g brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 85 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pan

For the frosting:

110 g goat cheese, at room temperature
80 g powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 small orange
4-6 tablespoons milk
Sliced toasted almonds

Preparation

Prepare the dough:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, place the milk, sugar and yeast and whisk to combine. Add the eggs and whisk again.
2. Place the butter, salt, flour and dried cherries in the bowl of the KitchenAid mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the milk mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough comes together, pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth, about 8–10 minutes.
3. Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough rest in a warm place until it almost doubles in size, about 1 hour.

For the filling:

1. In a small bowl or cup, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
2. Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle of about 30 cm x 40 cm wide.
3. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the butter.
4. Starting from the long side, roll the dough up from the bottom edge to make a tight log.
5. Cut the log into 12 slices of about 2.5 cm wide each.
6. Grease the inside of the Le Creuset shallow casserole with butter (or line the bottom completely with baking paper) and place the dough slices into the pot, from the center outward, in a circle (leave space between them as they will need to rise).
7. Cover with the lid and let rest in a warm place until the rolls increase in size and fill the casserole, about 30 to 35 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 ºC.
9. Once the rolls have risen, brush the rolls with a little beaten egg and place the casserole in the oven, uncovered. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (in about 30 minutes they will be ready).

For the frosting and serving:

1. While the rolls bake, place the goat cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest and 4 tablespoons milk in a bowl and beat until smooth (you can do this with an electric mixer). Add the remaining milk if necessary to achieve a more or less light consistency as you wish, but pourable (so it flows and spreads well when serving).
2. Remove the rolls from the oven when done and let cool about 10 minutes. Drizzle with the frosting and decorate with toasted sliced almonds.