Cora's Cottage

The perfect festive treat for Christmas is this twist on the traditional cinnamon roll.  Great for any peppermint lovers, simply swap out the cinnamon mixture for a candy cane one!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Festive and Seasonal:  The perfect dessert if you are looking for something that is festive and seasonal for the Christmas season!
• Delicious: These candy cane rolls are a delicious treat for all the peppermint lovers!
• Unique: These rolls give a twist on a traditional cinnamon roll that make them unique for Christmas time!

Tips for this Recipe:

• Crush the candy canes in a blender or in a zip lock bag using a rolling pin
• If you don’t have a double boiler, be sure to watch the chocolate drizzle carefully when it is melting as it can scorch easily!

Pairings

• Christmas
• Glass of milk or hot chocolate
• Cold winter days

Tools

• Mixing Bowls (or mixer)
• Mixing Spoon
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Large Bowl
• Tea Towel
• 9″x13″ Pan
• Bench Scraper
• Sharp Knife
• Rolling Pin

Ingredients

• Water
• Flour
• Yeast
• Sugar
• Oil
• Salt
• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Candy Canes
• White Chocolate Chips
• Milk

How to make Christmas Candy Cane Rolls

Start preheating your oven to 350°F and heating 2 cups of water to 110°F.  I am able to get this temperature of water out of my tap after running it on hot for a bit.

Dissolve one tablespoon of sugar into the warm water before adding the yeast and allowing it to proof for about 5 minutes or until the top of the water is foamy.  Then, mix in the remaining sugar, oil, and salt.

Begin adding the flour a half cup to a cup at a time while kneading until the dough has come together and is no longer extremely sticky.   Place the dough into a well greased bowl, turn it over to coat, cover with a damp tea towel, and allow it rise in a warm place.  I like to place mine on top of the stove when the oven is preheated. 

The dough should be allowed to rise until it has doubled in size.  The amount of time this takes will vary depending on how warm your kitchen is, but generally it takes 1-2 hours.

While the dough is rising mix together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and crushed candy canes. 

After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and place it on a well floured surface.  Roll the dough into a 12 inch by 18-24 inch rectangle.  Spread 1/2 cup of soft, room-temperature butter over the dough and evenly sprinkle the candy cane and sugar mixture over the dough.

Roll the dough into a log, doing your best not to push the toppings off while keeping the roll tight.  Once you have a log, slice the rolls using a knife, bench scraper, or piece of thread.  The rolls should be about 1/2 to 1 inch thick. 

Place the rolls into a greased 9×13 pan and allow them to rise under a damp tea towel in a warm place for about 30 minutes.  After the rolls have risen, place them in the oven for 30 minutes or until the tops begin to turn a golden brown.

Allow the rolls to cool completely on the counter before making the white chocolate drizzle to go over the top. (I like to wait until the next day.) To make the white chocolate drizzle, melt together the white chocolate and milk.  A double boiler will make this easier as it is more difficult to scorch the chocolate but one is not necessary.

When the white chocolate and milk are melted together and smooth, drizzle over the rolls.  A whisk or spoon works well for this.  The rolls will keep at room temperature for about 1 week.