It’s September! The autumnal equinox was on Saturday, so it’s fall for real now. And October is LESS THEN A WEEK AWAY. Man, I am pumped! I’ve had a couple of hard days this week but when it gets hard, I just close my eyes and think about what’s to come. Halloween is going to be great, I can feel it. (It always is)
As you may have guessed I am in full fall mode. These are intended to be a fall dessert, because they are similar to cinnamon rolls. But pears are actually the most in season in August. But whatever, I have decided it shall be a fall dessert.
Who doesn’t love a cinnamon roll? No one. The slightly crisp outside, the fluffy and buttery dough, the warming spices, not to mention the gooey centers. They are honestly just the best. And there are so many variations, apple cinnamon rolls, maple cinnamon rolls, pumpkin cinnamon rolls (my personal favorite), you name it! But today we are using cardamom and pear.
Cardamom is one of my favorite spices and I use it all the time, from my orange cardamom cookies to my pistachio cardamom cake. I just love the flavor it brings and it pairs really nicely with lots of different things. Take pears for example.
Describe These Rolls to me:
Taste: These have that same warming sweet spice taste of a cinnamon roll, but a little different. The cardamom adds this earthiness, and the pears add little rivers of sweet freshness. The dough is buttery and the glaze tastes like caramel. It really takes all those flavors of fall and mushes them into one sweet roll.
Texture: Ok, I know pretty much everyones favorite part of a cinnamon roll is the gooey center. But personally, I like the toasty brown top. The little bit of crunch is just so satisfying to me. But these rolls have the best of both worlds because they have that crunchy outside, but also the inside stays gooey from the pear juice and that delicious glaze seeping in.
Ease: These are no more complicated than your classic cinnamon roll. The dough is quick to make, but will need to rise for a couple of hours. The shaping is also simple, but make sure to save time to cut up those pears. And the glaze is super easy, one bowl, and no mixer required. So these will take a little time to make, but they aren’t very difficult. I think they’re perfect to make on a Saturday, and then you can heat them up to have on Sunday morning with a cup of coffee.
The Dough
This is a pretty basic cinnamon roll dough, but this recipe yields more than a classic one. The reason we need more dough is simple: we have more filling. Those delicious pears take up space and we need more dough to keep them neatly wrapped up. This dough uses milk, butter, yeast, sugar, eggs, and flour. These are pretty basic ingredients, but they yield the most tender and soft sweet rolls.
The Filling
There are three components to this filling. First is a layer of melted butter spread on top of the dough. Sprinkled over that is a mixture of brown sugar, cardamom, and just a touch of cinnamon. Lastly, the pears. Start off by peeling them and removing the core. Then, slice them really thin the long way so you get a pear shape. I like to use a mandolin to get thin, even slices. Layer that on top of the brown sugar mixture and then we roll and bake.
The Glaze
I really love this glaze. I’ve used a very similar version in some apple butter pastries last year. The thing about this glaze is that it tastes just like caramel, but it isn’t. We start off by browning some butter which is a fall flavor staple. Then while that is still piping hot, add some maple syrup. To thicken it up, throw in some confectioners sugar and a little salt and vanilla for flavor. The key to that great caramel flavor is a little espresso powder. It balances out the sweetness so well. Lastly, to add some creaminess, a little heavy cream. Drizzle that glaze all over the warm rolls. It will be a thin glaze, but that’s just what we want so it can seep into the center making these rolls gooey and soft.
You absolutely HAVE to eat these warm. It’s unreal. The tops are crispy, the center gooey, and your fingers will be covered with that amazing glaze. Taking a bite of one of these fresh is like being transported to a magical dimension where it is always fall. (my kind of dimension)
AAAAAA. October is so close! I am so so so so so so so so so so SO EXCITED. I have some frighteningly delicious things headed your way, and I think we should all be getting excited because IT IS FALL!!! Also, yesterday we unpacked out Halloween clothes and I forgot how much I love all my sweaters! (ok that’s a lie, I didn’t forget I was just reminded) I also made my first batch of apple butter and now the house smells SO GOOD.
Pear and Cardamom Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the milk to 35℉ in the microwave in 20 second increments. Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and yeast and whisk to combine. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. The mixture should become foamy on top, and if it doesn't then your yeast is probably dead and you should start over with new yeast.
- Add the butter and beat with a dough hook attachment. It won't fully combine, just try to break it down a little. Add the eggs and salt, and beat again to incorporate. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined and a rough dough forms. Pour that out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for 7 minutes until the dough forms a smooth and soft ball.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl (I use olive oil or butter) and turn to coat all sides of the dough in the oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or cling wrap and set in a warm and humid place to rise for about 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size. I usually let it rise for about an hour and a half.
- In the last 10 minutes or so of rising, prep the filling. Slice the peeled and cored pears vertically. Try and get them as thin as possible, a mandoline is best for this. Place the sliced pears on a paper towel and gently blot some of the moisture out of them. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cardamom, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch rectangular baking dish with butter. Set aside.
- Punch down the risen dough to release the bubbles. Pour it out onto a heavily floured surface and roll it out using a rolling pin into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Flip and rotate the dough frequently as you are rolling it out to make sure it isn't sticking. Spread the softened butter on top and evenly sprinkle over the brown sugar mixture. Layer the pears evenly overtop, leaving about an inch border. Some of them may overlap a little, that's ok! Slowly and carefully roll the rectangle up into a tight 18 inch log. Cut the log into 12 even rolls, and arrange in the previously prepared baking dish. Cover the rolls with cling wrap or aluminum foil and allow to rise again for about 45-60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Bake the risen rolls without the cling wrap for 25-30 minutes or until evenly browned on top and hollow sounding when tapped. If rolls are browning too quickly, carefully tent with foil. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the pan while you prepare the glaze.
- In a small saucepan brown the butter over medium heat. It will melt and then begin to sizzle and foam. You will then see brown specks. Keep an eye on it, stirring frequently until amber brown. Then stir in the maple syrup, which will sizzle and splash, so be careful! Remove from the heat and stir in the espresso powder, confectioners sugar, and a pinch of salt. Until just combined. Lastly, stir in the cream until combined. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls and enjoy.
- Rolls are best served warm but will keep for up to 3 days covered in foil.
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