GUAVA CINNAMON ROLLS

by Aylin Sanchez

Every time you bite into one of these ooey-gooey rolls, it’s like an explosion of flavors in your mouth. You get the tartness from the guava and, simultaneously, the boldness of cinnamon. The whole thing is pulled together by the creamy cream cheese frosting that just melts right into all the nooks and crannies. It’s funny, actually. When making this recipe, I was in the kitchen with my mom. She was never much of a fan of the traditional cinnamon rolls. So she asked me to make guava filling for her. Little did I know that this was one of her best ideas. I got to incorporate authentic Hispanic flavors into something as simple as a cinnamon roll, elevate its flavors, and bring it to the next level.

Serves: 6 Estimated Cook Time: 3 Hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients

366 grams warm milk

104 grams granulated sugar, divided

7 grams active-dry yeast

640 grams all-purpose flour

17 grams salt

80 grams unsalted butter, melted

50 grams egg

4 grams vanilla extract

56 grams butter, softened

55 grams brown sugar

50 grams granulated sugar

226 grams guava paste, cubed

2.3 grams cinnamon

85 grams heavy cream

110 grams butter, room temperature

130 grams powdered sugar

226 grams cream cheese

226 grams guava paste cubed

4 grams vanilla extract

2.3 grams cinnamon

60 grams heavy cream

Directions

Dough:

1. Heat milk in the microwave until lukewarm, about 30 seconds. In a small bowl, add 4 grams of sugar and the yeast. Add the warm milk and whisk to dissolve the yeast. Set aside until foamy and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

2. To the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, remaining 100 grams of sugar, salt, butter, egg, vanilla and the yeast mixture. Mix for 5 minutes. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead or by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 10 minutes.

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and turn to grease the top. Cover and leave to rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to rise.

Filling:

1. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix together the soft butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cubed guava paste and cinnamon until smooth.

Assembly:

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.

2. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a ¾-inch thick rectangle, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.

3. Leaving a ½-inch border, spread filling in an even layer over the dough.

4. Starting with one of the short sides of the rectangle, roll the dough into a tight coil and pinch the seam to seal.

5. To cut the rolls, score the dough lightly into 6 even pieces. Slide a piece of unflavored dental floss under the dough coil. Wrap the floss around the dough, cross the end and pull tightly in opposite directions. The floss should slice through the dough. Repeat until all of the rolls have been cut.

6. Transfer the cinnamon rolls to a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover and let rise until puffed, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Once risen, drizzle 15 grams of heavy cream over each roll.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Once risen, bake the rolls for 25 minutes.

8. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the icing: in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the guava paste, cream cheese, butter and heavy cream. Beat until completely smooth. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and powdered sugar and combine until fully incorporated. Set aside.

9. Frost the baked cinnamon rolls while still hot from the oven. Enjoy warm.