Chai Spiced Cinnamon Rolls

Instructions

1. 1

   Add the flour and knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes or in a mixer for 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Lightly oil a bowl and add your dough, cover with a wet cloth and let rise for 1 hour. While the dough rises, make the caramel and filling.

3. 3

   Start off by preparing the brown butter for the glaze. Brown the butter in a pan, slowly, until it has become a soft golden brown colour. Transfer to a bowl and pop it in the fridge.

4. 4

   Now start on your caramel sauce. Add the coconut milk, coconut sugar and salt to a pot and place on a medium to high heat for 20 min, stirring occasionally until it reaches a thicker caramel consistency.

5. 5

   Once that is done. In a smaller pot, add your milk and chai in a strainer and let the tea brew for about 10 min in a very low heat, trying to not let it boil. Then mix the milk and cinnamon into your caramel, stir and set aside.

6. 6

   Now to make your cinnamon butter filling. Mix the coconut sugar and blackstrap molasses together until it is evenly incorporated. Then add your butter and cinnamon and mix through.

7. 7

   Now the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out into a rectangle roughly 12 inches by 18 inches. Evenly spread your butter filling. Roll chop into 8-10 rolls depending on your preferred size.

8. 8

   Lightly butter your tray and then add your caramel sauce. Place the rolls into the pan on top of the sauce and let them rise for another 30 min while covered with a damp cloth.

9. 9

   Pre-heat your oven to 180C.

10. 10

    Now onto the glaze, add the sugars for the glaze (raw sugar and coconut sugar) to a blender and blend for 1 minute until ultra fine. This essentially makes your own icing sugar.

11. 11

    The butter you browned earlier should be in the fridge and come to a soft ‘room temperature’ texture. If it is too hard just take it out of the fridge and let it soften.

12. 12

    To a mixer, add your room temperature cream cheese and whip for 30 seconds, then add your butter and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining ingredients and mix for 1 minute.

13. 13

    Place your pecans in a pan and dry roast them in the oven or stovetop for extra crunch, then chop and have them ready to sprinkle on top of the rolls.

14. 14

    Once the rolls have finished their rise, bake for 12 min then flip cook for another 5 minutes.

15. 15

    Remove from the oven and add some of the glaze, letting it melt into the rolls. You can save the remaining for serving once they have fully cooled.