raspberry pinwheels

I went to college in San Luis Obispo (known as SLO to many) and frequented almost every coffee shop in town. A girl can’t survive on lattes alone, so I found a favorite bakery filled with fresh breads and pastries. It didn’t take me long to settle on the raspberry pinwheel as the recurring companion to my coffee. Fast forward to present day, where a taste memory of those pinwheels surfaced and beckoned me to the kitchen. Could I recreate the rolls?

Happily, the pinwheels came together just as I remembered, with a jammy raspberry filling surrounded by a doughy roll. When it came to the topping, I swapped out the too-sweet white glaze from the bakery for my favorite Chambord glaze. I’m sure I’m biased (I know I am!), but I like these raspberry pinwheels even more than the original inspiration. For more tips on baking yeast rolls, see my maple-glazed cinnamon rolls – the dough recipe is the same.

Raspberry Pinwheels
Dough
1/4 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm low-fat milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups flour (approximate)

Filling
1 1/2 cups raspberries
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp water
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Chambord

Chambord Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Chambord

Combine warm water and yeast in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Combine lukewarm milk, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater. Stir in egg and butter on low speed until combined, then stir in yeast mixture. Mix in 2 cups of flour until incorporated; gradually add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough feels tacky but doesn’t stick to your fingers. Switch out the flat beater for a dough hook, and knead dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic (you may need to add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time – I added 1 additional tablespoon). The dough is ready when it pulls away from bottom of the mixer bowl.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray and cover with plastic. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Combine raspberries and honey in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk water and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Add to fruit mixture and continue cooking until thickened, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove fruit mixture from heat and stir in vanilla and Chambord. Set aside.

To check if dough has doubled, lightly flour two fingers and press them down into center of dough. If indentations remain, gently press down dough; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and roll into an 18 x 12-inch rectangle. Brush dough with raspberry filling, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Carefully roll dough up into a tight log and pinch edges to seal. Trim off uneven ends, then score log every inch and use a sharp knife to slice crosswise into 18 equal slices. Place rolls cut side up into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls for 18 minutes, until tops are golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and Chambord in a small bowl. Pour glaze over warm rolls; glaze will set as rolls cool. Wrap leftover rolls well and store at room temperature up to 2 days; warm in a 300°F oven before serving.

Yield – 18 rolls (serving size: 1 roll)
Calories – 170
Carbs – 30

Tagged as: Chambord, Raspberry