Cheddar-orange Rolls

(Note: I don't know why this post is centered. I've edited it back to left justification three times, and it just goes back to centered. So, it is what it is.)

I love sweet rolls. Who doesn't? I first fell in love with them when I discovered Cinnabon in the airport as a teenager. My goal after that was to create a cinnamon roll that was EVEN BETTER. Why not? It's just a matter of trial and error to create the right taste.

I do believe I have succeeded. But in order to keep these cinnamon rolls extra special, I only make them twice a year.

That's not the recipe I'm sharing, though it is amazing. 

Why bring it up, you ask? For two reasons: 1) Because I now make this recipe twice a year with my cinnamon rolls and 2) the dough is the same dough! so you can modify this recipe to make cinnamon rolls too.

But there's a story to these recipe, also. When I was in the eighth grade, I stayed the night with a friend whose mom worked at a hotel. In the morning, she brought us home rolls from the hotel. They were some kind of orange cheese sweet roll, and they were divine. I consumed way too many.

Fast forward twenty years, and I've searched high and low for that recipe. There are tons of cheese roll recipes out there. Even more orange rolls. But no CHEESE ORANGE ROLLS. So I created this. It's mine, all mine. And I like it even more than the cinnamon roll recipe, but that's just me! After you've tried it (and loved it), feel free to change it and make it yours, all yours!

Ingredients:

dough: 2 1/2 C warm water

2 T yeast

1/2 C oil

2 t salt

1 C sugar

6-8 C flour

filling:

1 C sugar

1/2 C butter

2 oranges, zested and juiced

2 C shredded cheddar cheese (other cheeses that would be good: Asiago, Havarti, Manchego, Gouda)

glaze: 

juice from the oranges

3 C powdered sugar

First, let's make the dough. I usually give myself two hours to get this done because it has to sit, then sit, then sit again. But it's not hard.

Mix water, sugar, and yeast together. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Knead until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1/2 hour.

Looks good!

Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle. There's no right or wrong here, just make it rectangular. (I roll out half the dough at a time because it's a lot of dough!)

Melt the butter and spread it across the rectangle.

Next, sprinkle on the sugar and blend it into the butter.

Add the orange zest. 

And the cheese!

Roll up the dough, starting with the long end.

The rolled up dough.

Cut the dough with a sharp knife every two inches.

Lay out on a baking sheet, leaving space between each one.

Cover and let rise for half an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes.

This is them as they come out. Aren't they perfect?

Oh, and don't forget the glaze. You should make this while they're in the oven.

Mix the reserved orange juice and powdered sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Dissolved.

Pour over the rolls when they come out of the oven. 

Enjoy with a glass of milk. And yes, I did make cinnamon rolls at the same time. I made the full dough amount, then did half cinnamon rolls and half orange rolls. These are best warm, so nuke them for ten seconds in the microwave the next day and they're good again!

Yield: 24 orange rolls

Tastefully,

Tamara