Christmas Brunch

  

Christmas morning brunch is in my family (as I'm sure it is in many) a tradition that has taken place since I can remember.

When I was little, my mom would get up in the morning before us kids and start prepping cinnamon rolls. Then, after we got up and saw the load we had received from Santa, we would open stockings, eat breakfast and then move to presents. 

The routines of holidays and what they mean for families are what make these occasions special and so now, every Christmas, I get up at 6am and prep cinnamon rolls and brunch stuff - my way.

Last year I made giant, Cinnabon like cinnamon rolls and this year I decided I would take a little lighter approach. I made pumpkin cinnamon rolls with pumpkin filling and pumpkin glaze. Because pumpkin is such a gooey, moistening ingredient to begin with, these cinnamon rolls taste a lot naughtier than they really are. 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from Eat, Live Run

Rolls

•  2 Tbsp earth balance
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (So Delicious or similar brand - not canned)
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin 
• 1/8 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp Agave
• 1 Tbsp Flax + 3 Tbsp cold water, whisked together and placed in the fridge for at least 5 minutes
• 1/4 oz yeast (1 package)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp jamaican or other all spice

Filling

• 2 Tbsp canned pumpkin
• Scant 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Earth Balance, softened
• 2 tsp cinnamon

 Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp canned pumpkin
• 1/4 vanilla or almond extract
• 2 tsp almond/coconut milk (IF NEEDED)

Heat the coconut milk and earth balance in a small saucepan over LOW heat until just melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before adding in your yeast (I didn't let it cool enough the first go-around and I killed the yeast so I had to re-do it - the milk should feel like bathwater and the yeast should get all frothy when you add it in). Whisk in yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk together your dry ingredients before adding the pumpkin, agave, flax and finally yeast mixture (I added the last four ingredients with my KitchenAid Mixer on low speed).

Knead the dough with the dough hook attachment on the mixer for about 5 or 6 minutes

Then, cover the bowl with a warm, damp dish rag and place somewhere warm-ish to rise for an hour and twenty minutes (I put my oven on low for about 10 minutes, turn it off and then put the dough in the warm oven to sit).

After the dough rises, remove from the warm place and roll out into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface

Whisk together pumpkin, softened earth balance, brown sugar and cinnamon and (using a spatula) spread out over the entirety of your dough rectangle

Gently roll the dough up lengthwise so that it forms a long log shape

Using a very sharp knife or twine (to form a circle around the dough to pinch pieces off) - form 8-9 slices and place in a greased casserole dish (9 inches square)

Cover with your dishcloth and allow to rise for an additional 45 minutes.

Then, uncover and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While baking, combine the ingredients for the glaze in the mixer using the paddle attachment and beat together for a few minutes or until you get a satisfactory consistency. Add more powdered sugar or coconut milk as necessary.

Remove rolls from the oven, let cool slightly and then, placing your glaze in a plastic ziplock bag, cut off one corner of the bag and drizzle over warm rolls

Serve immediately!

I paired mine with mojito fruit salad, spicy field roast sausage and Crispin hard apple cider (better than a mimosa!)

Happy Holidays!!

Live Long and Prosper. And remember there is always a way to adapt traditions to a vegan lifestyle :)