Delicious homemade dough is layered with a cranberry filling and twisted together to create these Cranberry Sweet Rolls. A cream cheese drizzle finishes this sweet treat making it perfect for breakfast, dessert, or anything in between.
Begin by making the dough in advance. In a large bowl, whisk together two cups of flour with the yeast.
In a medium saucepan, add the milk, sugar, butter, and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir and heat until around 125 degrees F.
Add the warmed milk mixture and eggs to the flour mixture. Beat on low/medium for about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl as needed. Beat on high for three minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
Stir in enough of the remaining flour until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl. (The dough will still be slightly sticky.)
Place the dough in a greased 3-qt bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
When you are ready to make your sweet rolls, start by preparing the cranberry filling. In a small saucepan combine the cranberries, sugar, water, ginger, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until thickened to a jam-like consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Punch it down and let rest for about 15 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 13- by18-inch rectangle. Spread the cooled cranberry mixture over the dough. Fold the rectangle in thirds to create a 13- by 6-inch rectangle.
Cut the rectangle into twelve 6-inch strips. Loosely twist each strip and form into a roll tucking the ends under.
Place the rolls onto your prepared baking sheets. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm location for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on baking sheets for about five minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
While the sweet rolls cool, make the cream cheese drizzle by adding the cream cheese and butter to a bowl. Beat with a mixer to combine. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency.
Drizzle the cream cheese mixture onto your sweet rolls and (optional) sprinkle with chopped walnuts.