Raspberry Lemon Curd Rolls

The other night I had a dream. Nothing visionary, just kind of odd. It was about cinnamon rolls. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing weird about dreaming of food, I do it all of the time… but I woke up craving them. Then that afternoon when I was browsing the blogosphere I stumbled across Willow Bird Baking. Julie had just announced her first baking challenge and lo and behold it was all about using her sweet roll recipe! I immediately started brainstorming ideas and eventually decided on these raspberry lemon curd rolls. Stephen and I have been loving all of the fresh berries we’ve been eating and since I had a couple of lemons sitting around it just seemed like the natural choice. In order to create a “filling” I decided on curd, something that would make them nice and gooey inside. You can either use a store-bought curd, or cook it over the stove-top, but I opted for the fast and easy method… I microwaved it! Add some sugar to the raspberries, cook them down and roll it all up into a nice log. All that’s left to do is cut them up, bake them and slather them in some zesty cream cheese frosting. These sweet rolls are absolutely perfect in every way! Enjoy! Also thanks Julie for such a fun challenge, I’m already looking forward to the next one!

1 c. sugar

8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons

Filling:
4 c. fresh raspberries

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. lemon extract or oil
Zest of 1 lemon

Raspberry Drizzle:
½ c. sugar
Raspberry juice

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, combine warm water and yeast. Whisk to combine and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy.
2. Meanwhile, combine vinegar and milk in a 2 c. measuring cup. Allow to sit while preparing the remaining ingredients.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in yeast and milk mixture, using the pastry hook mix (knead) until a ball begins to form. Place ball of dough in a large lightly greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
4. To prepare lemon curd, combine all ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl. Whisk until smooth. Place in microwave and heat on HIGH for (5) 1 minute increments, mixing in between each heating.
Let mixture cool on counter for 10 minutes. Transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, place raspberries into a skillet. Over low heat, simmer with ¼ c. water and ½ c. sugar for 5-6 minutes. Remove raspberries and place in a small bowl. Continue heating the juices for 4-5 more minutes until it begins to thicken. Place drizzle into a bottle and set aside.
6. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide into two equal balls. Roll out one ball on a lightly floured surface. Spread ⅔ c. of lemon curd over the rectangular slab of dough. Place ½ of the raspberries on top. Roll up and cut into 12 rolls. Place in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Cover pans with a dish cloth and set in a draft-free area for 1½ hours or until rolls have doubled in size.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place rolls into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown in color. Remove rolls and place pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, to prepare the frosting, combine all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Spread over warm rolls and drizzle with raspberry sauce. Serve immediately.
Sweet Roll Dough recipe from Willow Bird Baking | Makes 24 standard size rolls