Working on new sweet dough fillings is one of my greatest joys, and considering baklava is one of my all-time favourite desserts, it only felt appropriate to combine them into one gorgeous little cinnamon roll. Hearty, fluffy, aromatic, and sweet, they truly are perfect with coffee, tea, and milk of your choice!
Although cinnamon rolls can be a breakfast item, especially with the said coffee or tea, these are on the sweeter side, so they are definitely a dessert to me. However, they are still a fantastic sweet lunchbox or snack item, especially if you like your meals to include a little treat.
And if you want to serve them in true baklava fashion, drizzle them with some apple honey as soon as they come out of the oven, and generously sprinkle them with chopped pistachios. Serve them hot, preferably with freshly brewed strong coffee, and enjoy!
Ingredients
For the dough
350 grams strong bread flour
185 millilitres warm water
45 millilitres vegetable oil
20 grams light brown sugar
10 grams salt
7 grams instant dry yeast
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the filling
250 grams apples, peeled and cored
100 grams light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
50 grams toasted walnuts, ground
50 grams pistachios, ground
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
30 grams vegan block butter
Preparation
Start by making the dough. Take a large bowl, sift in the strong bread flour, add in the yeast, sugar, and salt, and blend well. Make a well in the centre, pour in the warm water, oil, and the vanilla, and mix with a wooden spoon until a very soft dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes or so, until it becomes supple and smooth. Place the kneaded dough into a large bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled.
While the dough is resting, make the filling. Slice the apples thinly, either by using a sharp knife or a mandolin, and add them to a heavy saucepan, along with the sugar. Place it over medium high heat, and cook, stirring frequently, until there is no more liquid on the bottom. Once it starts to develop the apple pie aroma, the apples are done.
Remove from the heat and let them cool down slightly. Grind together the walnuts and pistachios, add in the cornflour and cinnamon, and blend once again. Add the slightly cooled apples to the blender, along with the vanilla, orange zest, and butter, and blend until a paste forms. It should be thick, but spreadable. Set it aside for the time being.
Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it gently, and then roll it out into a long rectangle. Make sure that one of the edges is rolled out as thinly as possible, so the rolls create a nice seal. Spread the filling all over the dough, leaving only the thinned edge free. Roll it up towards that edge and pinch the seam together.
Slice the roll into nine equal pieces and arrange them in a small rectangular baking pan (18x18 cm), lined with baking parchment. Cover them with a clean cloth, and let them rest and rise for about 20-30 minutes, while the oven preheats. Bake them in a nicely preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 12-15 minutes, or until evenly golden, and serve immediately. Yields 9 rolls.
