Orange Sweet Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing

Growing up my Mom made us breakfast 6 days of the week.  On Sundays we got cold cereal, which we loved!  Definitely didn't fully appreciate how lucky we were to have a nice, warm breakfast almost every day.  Now that I'm the Mom, I still love to make breakfast, but other than the occasional fried egg, pretty much the only day I do that is on Sunday! We've been spoiled to have church at 12pm this year so I have quite a bit of time to whip something up while certain family members are sleeping in.  Not that I'm bitter or anything, I actually love my quiet Sunday mornings in the kitchen.   

Anyways....These Orange Rolls are so divine! We love having them for a late Sunday breakfast but they would make a fabulous dessert as well.  The roll is tender and fluffy with a creamy, dreamy orange cream cheese icing on the top.  My favorite part of the roll though? The filling! So, so good.  Especially the part that just melts out and sticks to the bottom of the roll.  I am guilty of scraping any extra off the pan to have with my serving- seriously, no self-control.  

You need to give these rolls a try!  You won't regret it. Just keep in mind, that they are a yeast bread so it will take a few hours from start to finish. 

Side Note: 

At the New Year we go to 9am church- yikes!  Probably won't be making these for breakfast on those mornings. Ha.  Most likely we'll be doing lots of breakfast casseroles and make ahead things.  

Orange Sweet Rolls 

modified from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS

Dough:
1 cup milk 
¼ cup salted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 
1 large egg
3 to 4 cups  all-purpose flour (see note)

Filling:
½ cup  salted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh orange zest, from about 2-3 medium oranges

    * I pretty much always use Cuties for this- about 4-5

Cream Cheese Icing:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1-2 TBSP fresh orange juice 
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest, or more!
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

For the dough, heat the milk and butter in a medium saucepan until the milk is scalded (which is basically heating it until right before it simmers –  the butter should be just starting to melt around the edges. Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. 

Add the sugar and salt. Mix until the butter is melted and let the mixture cool until warm but not hot. Add the yeast and egg and mix until combined.

Gradually add the flour until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. The exact amount will depend on the temperature, humidity and how you measure flour. I usually end up with right around 3 1/2 cups of flour. The dough should be soft and just slightly sticky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, or just leave it in the Kitchen Aid bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled, about an hour.

*Tip: If you are in a hurry, heat your oven to the lowest temp or select bread proof.  Once it comes to temp, turn the heat off and place the bowl in the oven.  If you have a Bread Proof setting, leave it on till you take the bread out.  This will give your dough a nice warm place to rise and about cut the rise time in half. 

Meanwhile, combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl until well-combined.

Roll or pat the dough into about a 14X10-inch rectangle. Evenly spread the orange filling mixture over the rectangle of dough.

Starting with one long end, roll up the cinnamon rolls as tightly as possible without stretching the dough, pinching the seam lightly to seal.

Using a serrated knife, or dental floss, cut the log into 12 even pieces, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (I find it’s easiest to do this by cutting it in half and then cutting each half into six pieces).

Place on either a half sheet pan or 9X13.  Make sure to grease the pan first or line with foil and spray with cooking spray for easier cleanup.  

Lightly grease a sheet of plastic wrap and loosely cover the rolls.  

Let the rolls rise, covered, until puffy and nearly doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for about 18-22 minutes until only very slightly golden on top.

While they cool (or before), prepare the icing by adding the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Whip with a handheld mixer until creamy. Add the orange juice, zest, and vanilla.  Mix again. 

Add the powdered sugar on a low speed and mix until light and creamy. Spread the slightly warm rolls evenly with the icing.

Serve immediately or let cool completely and serve at room temperature (or warm lightly before serving).