Trail Mix Cinnamon Rolls

It's a bit of a torture to walk into those large grocery stores that have in-house bakeries on the days they make cinnamon rolls. The seem like they will taste so yummy, but then, well, they don't, and an hour later there is the carb crash, so yuck all around. While I haven't been able to make an exact replacement for cinnamon rolls using rice flour, I have found that with the extra protein of seeds in trail mix I feel full until lunch. This recipe has water and olive oil, which can also be replaced with my favorite fresh goat milk and goat butter. The trail mix I used had dried papaya, raisins, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower kernels, almonds, and dried apples. The moisture from the fresh cut apple in the filling steams all the dried fruit and softens the nuts.

3 cups whole wheat flour, plus about 1 cup additional for work surfaces
1 package quick-rise yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup warm water (120 degrees)

Filling
1 cup trail mix
1 finely chopped fresh apple
1/4 cup brown sugar

Granola Topping
1 cup whole oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl add flour, yeast, salt, cinnamon, warm water, olive oil. Mix with a spoon to form a sticky dough, add one to two handfuls of flour and lightly knead for one to two minutes until soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm locaion for an hour where dough should roughly double in size. Prepare an 8x8 inch baking pan with olive oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix filling ingredients together in a small bowl, set aside. Mix granola ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.


Once risen, turn out on to a floured surface. Knead for five minutes adding flour as necessary. Roll out to about 12 inches by 18 inches. Spread trail mix, chopped apple, and brown sugar evenly on top of dough, leaving a half inch border around all edges. Carefully roll and press gently together to form a uniformly thick log. Slice in 2 inch rolls and place cross sections facing up in prepared pan. Top with granola topping and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes,until center is set, and granola topping is browned and crispy. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Makes nine large rolls.