Feel the love

A little like a Persian Love Cake and Baklava had a baby…

Sweet, floral, and nutty, these rolls will make you fall in love.

Skill Level- Intermediate

Shopping List:

• Rapid Rise/ Instant/ or Active Dry Yeast

• Bread Flour

• Pistachios (preferably plain- not roasted or salted)

• Rose petals (edible, food grade)

• Vegan Butter

• Plant Milk

• Coconut milk or cream (in a can or tin)

• Granulated and Light Brown Sugar

• Icing/ Powder Sugar (optional)

• Vanilla Extract

• Neutral Oil

• Salt
  

Equipment:

• Stand mixer w/ dough hook- you can definitely make these by hand, but if you have a stand mixer, I would say use it

• Large bowl (if not using a stand mixer )

• Liquid measuring cup

• Scale, if using ( you should! )

• Candy thermometer (optional, but helpful)

• Rolling pin

• Medium size bowl (filling)

• Small bowls ( topping + glaze )

• 9 x 13 “ baking pan

• Cooling rack

• Small saucepan

• Kitchen towel, bowl cover, or plastic wrap

• Very sharp knife or dental floss (for cutting rolls)

  
  Makes- between 6-8 rolls, depending on your preferred size

Products used:

Links provided below-

• Rapid Rise Yeast- I prefer active dry over rapid or instant yeast, but I’ m using it for this recipe because it’s a bit easier and quicker for people because it only requires 1 rise instead of two. I think the end result is usually more flavorful. That being said, it does require two rises, which Rapid Rise does not (typically neither does Instant, but double check your brand). If you’re short on time and prefer to use the rapid rise yeast (which is perfectly acceptable), see notes on yeast below

• King Arthur Bread Flour- Any bread flour will do, King Arthur is just my preference. If you only have all purpose, go ahead and use it instead

• Miyoko’s or Melt Organic Butter Sticks- Up until a couple of months ago I was a real ride-or die Flora butter fan, but unfortunately they stopped production here in the U.S. It’s a bummer, but I also enjoy Melt and Miyoko’s. I’m using salted butter these days because that’s what’s readily available for most people, however, unsalted is typically my preference. That being said, feel free to use whatever’s your favorite, affordable or readily available to you.

• Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt- the chef’s salt (for various reasons) that I won’t get into here. The important thing to note is that it contains 53% less sodium than standard salt, so that’s why I say to use half the amount the recipe calls for if you’re using Morton, sea, or table salt.

• Domino Sugar- now, this is a tricky one… my supplier list it as vegan and Domino itself has stated in the past that the sugar coming from Baltimore, MD, Yonkers, NY or South Bay, FL are all vegan, but at the time (this was around 2017), the supplies coming from west coast were not. It’s been 5 years since they made this statement, so I suspect that it’s all vegan by now. However, I haven’t had the chance to confirm this, so take this information with a grain of salt (or sugar). Bottom line- if you’re a distrustful vegan (aren’t we all?) go for organic instead. Just try to get the finest grain you can- your baking results will be much better.

• Silk Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk- what type of plant milk doesn’t really matter too much in this recipe, just make sure it’s unsweetened.

  
  

Notes:

Yeast- This recipe calls for Rapid Rise Yeast, however, if Active Dry is your preference, they both work too. Just know that Active Dry requires two rises and proofing the yeast before you start.

How to use Rapid Rise Yeast-

1. Make sure the good by date on packed hasn’t expired

2. Wet ingredient temp should be between 120°–130°F

3. Add yeast to dry ingredients, then make a well in your bowl to add the warm liquid to mix

4. After dough is needed, let rest 10-15 minutes only- you can skip the first rise

5. After rested, assemble and cut rolls and let rise 30-60 minutes (depending on the temperature in your kitchen)

Pistachios- The easiest option is to find shelled one (I typically find at Trader Joe’s). Plain nuts that are not roasted or salted are preferred, but sometimes a little harder to come by, so if roasted and salted are all you fine, that’s ok. Don’t like pistachios? Try walnuts instead.

Rose Petals- Look for these is the tea section of your health food store or online at places like Amazon- just make sure that they are food grade.

Salt- Diamond Crystal Kosher is my preference, but if you use Morton or table salt, reduce the amount by half as Diamond is less salty than the two.

Sugar-To make sure it’s vegan, use organic as it does not use bone char (yes, it’s as bad as it sounds) in the processing like conventional sugar typically does.

Oil- Along with milk, serves as our egg replacer. Butter is flavor, but oil helps with moisture retention after the dough is baked.

Measuring- Listen… just go ahead and get a scale! They’re cheap and the most accurate for baking. I use them to develop my recipes and do the best I can to convert to the cup measurements out of courtesy to those who don’t have one, but trust me, if you like to bake- get one. It will be the best $20 dollars you spend to improve your recipes. If you still refuse, make sure that you use the scoop and level method to measure out your flour to avoid using more than the recipe calls for.

T= tablespoon tsp= teaspoon C= cup g= gram ml= milliliter pinch= around 1/8 of a teaspoon

INGREDIENTS:

Dough

• 1 packet Rapid Rise yeast ( or 3 tsp. Active Dry )

• 240 ml (1 C ) plant milk, warm (120°–130°F )* if you don’t have a thermometer, it should be sorta hot, but not boiling or scalding *

• 50 g  (1/4 C ).  granulated sugar (organic or vegan-friendly)

• 57 g ( 4 T) salted butter (vegan, very room temp)

• 30 g ( 2 T )  oil (grapeseed, avocado, vegetable, or canola work best)

• 420 g (3 1/2 C ) bread flour (you can sub with all-purpose flour )

• 1 T rose petals (crushed * food safe*)

• 1 tsp. kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal, half the amount if using table salt, Morton, or sea salt)

Filling

• 86 g (6 T ) vegan butter, room temp and spreadable

• 100 g ( 1/2 C ) granulated sugar, (organic or vegan-friendly)

• 50 g ( 1/4 C ) light brown sugar

• 112 g (1 C ) pistachios, shelled and finely chopped (not roasted, not salted is preferred, but if that’s all you can get your hands on, that’s fine)

• pinch of salt if not using salted nuts

Coconut Rose Cream

• 200 g (1/2 can )  coconut milk or cream

• 1 T rose petals, crushed

• 1 T vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

Icing

• 130 g (1 C ) icing/powdered sugar 

• 29 g (2 T)  vegan butter, melted (but not hot)

• 1 T coconut rose cream

• 1 T plant milk or heavy cream

• 1  tsp. vanilla extract or paste

• pinch of salt

  
  
  

Recipe Prep:

• Bring butter to room temp

  
  

Dough

Preheat oven to 375° F/ 190° C

Directions:

1. Add flour, sugar, rose, and rapid yeast to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Set aside.

2. Add warm milk (120°–130°F ) and oil- mix on a low speed until the dough becomes shaggy.

3. Add in the room temp butter and continue to mix on low speed until butter incorporates into the dough (it may be a little wet and sloppy at this point, but that’s ok), set to medium/medium-high speed and let mix until the dough turns smooth and elastic (around 10-15 minutes depending on speed).  

4. Remove dough from the bowl and place on the counter to rest for 10-15 minutes.

5. Roll the dough out into a 12 x 12 square, then smear the filling butter over the surface, leaving about 1/4 inch butter free at the top.

6. Sprinkle both sugars and pistachios on top of the buttered dough (reserve about ¼ cup of the pistachios for topping the rolls).

7. Roll the dough away from you, making as tight of a cylinder as you can. When you’ve come to the end, keep rolling so that the dough rolls onto itself and makes a tight seal at the bottom- this will help to secure your roll.

8. Cut into 6 or 8 even pieces with a sharp serrated knife or dental floss- I like 6 at two inches for massive rolls! But you could do 1 1/2 inches for 8 rolls.

9. Place rolls in a buttered 9x 13” pan and place a towel loosely over the top to rise until doubled in size- about 35-55 minutes (depending on your kitchen temperature and conditions).

10. While the dough is rising, make coconut rose cream.

11. Place all the rose cream ingredients into a small saucepan and let simmer on medium/ medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or until it has reduced and thickened.  Set aside to cool while the rolls rise.

12. When rolls have risen, pour the cooled cream over top, reserving one tablespoon for the icing.

13. Place the rolls in your preheated oven and bake until golden brown- 20-23 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.

14. Make the icing by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl, then spread on top of rolls.  Sprinkle pistachio and crushed rose petals over the top.

15. Eat warm- enjoy!

Top Tip #1

Know when your dough is properly kneaded

The better your dough is needed, the better the result will be for your final baking product!

1. Dough has gone from shaggy to having a nice supple sheen

2. The sides of your bowl (or your hands) are mostly free from any dough sticking to it/them

3. If using a mixer, your dough will often form a tight ball around the hook and “slap” the sides of the bowl

4. You can tear a piece of dough from the ball and stretch it so you can see through it without the dough tearing or breaking apart

Storage and Use

Rolls taste best fresh, but here is how to handle the leftovers-

1. If you’re not eating all of the rolls right away, make sure not to ice until you are ready to eat- this way you can reheat, then add the fresh icing.

2. Store rolls in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

3. When ready to eat, place in the oven at 350° for 5- 7 minutes to warm through again.

This recipe has a few steps, but all in all, it’s pretty easy. If you have the time, try them out- I hope you enjoy!

You are amazing! Thank you for being here,

xx Debbie