Cranberry Orange Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk , 120 to 130 degrees F/49 to 54 degrees C
• 2.5 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 eggs , room temperature
• 0.33 cups unsalted butter , melted and cooled
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour , or more as needed, divided
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 0.5 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon white sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved; set aside until yeast begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Whisk eggs and cooled melted butter together in a bowl; set aside.

3. 3

   Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, ½ cup white sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl; add yeast mixture and stir gently to combine. Add egg mixture; stir until a sticky dough forms.

4. 4

   Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead in remaining ½ cup all-purpose flour, a little at a time, until no longer sticky. Continue kneading until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes, adding more all-purpose flour if necessary. Place dough into a greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, combine cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove filling from heat; cool to room temperature.

6. 6

   Line a 9x13-inch baking pan and a 6-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease pans.

7. 7

   Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a rectangle approximately 21x14 inches. Place cranberry filling on dough leaving a ½-inch border on all sides. Roll dough up, starting at a long side. Pinch ends to seal dough; lay seam-side down on a cutting board. Cut into 15 rolls, each about 1 ¼-inch thick, using a very sharp or serrated knife. Place rolls, cut-sides up, in the prepared pans, 12 in the baking pan and 3 in the cake pan.

8. 8

   Loosely cover pans and let rolls rise until doubled in volume, 30 to 45 minutes.

9. 9

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

10. 10

    Bake in the preheated oven until rolls are golden brown on top, 22 to 27 minutes. Cool in the pans 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a serving plate.

11. 11

    Whisk confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 pinch salt together in a bowl until smooth. Add more cream to thin or more confectioners' sugar to thicken, as needed. Pour glaze over slightly warm rolls before serving.