Comfort Me with Offal

I was, I admit, skeptical about vegan cinnamon rolls before I developed these. Decadent, feathery-crumbed, and cinnamon-y, these rolls have all the flavor and sweet indulgence of the classic version, but without the egg and dairy.

PAN SAUCE:

4 tablespoons vegan buttery sticks, such as Earth Balance, softened

DOUGH:

Flour for dusting

1 recipe Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough

CINNAMON FILLING:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons vegan buttery sticks, such as Earth Balance, softened

VEGAN FROSTING:

1 (3-ounce) package vegan cream cheese, such as Tofutti, softened

4 tablespoons vegan buttery sticks, such as Earth Balance, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the pan sauce, spread the buttery stick in a 9 by 13- inch pan.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Roll out to a 16 by 20-inch rectangle.

3. For the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the dough with the buttery stick and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Starting with a short side, roll up the dough and form into a tight 16-inch cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 12 rolls. Place in the prepared pan, spiral side up. Cover with tea towels and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until risen and lightly browned.

5. For the frosting, blend all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or with a handheld mixer in a bowl. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls.

Bananas in the filling and in the sweet glaze keep the rolls moist, soft, and sweet.

PAN SAUCE:

Vegan cooking spray

DOUGH:

Flour for dusting

1 recipe Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough

CINNAMON FILLING:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

6 tablespoons vegan buttery- flavored sticks, such as Earth Balance, softened

2 large ripe-yet-firm bananas, peeled and cut into thin half-moons

BANANA GLAZE:

I large ripe banana, peeled and mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. For the pan sauce, spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with vegan cooking spray.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Roll the dough out to a 12 by 18-inch rectangle.

3. For the filling, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Spread the dough with the buttery stick and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and bananas. Starting with a long side, roll the dough up and form into a tight 18-inch cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 18 slices and place, spiral side up, in the prepared pan. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the rolls have risen and browned.

5. For the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the warm rolls.

For a fabulous brunch, serve these with a mango, papaya, and blueberry compote. To keep the filling white, use cinnamon oil, available at the drugstore. Potently flavored cinnamon oil is used to help a toothache—and to make Italian cannoli filling spicy yet snowy white.

PAN SAUCE:

Vegan cooking spray

DOUGH:

Flour for dusting

1 recipe Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough

COCONUT FILLING:

8 ounces vegan cream cheese, such as Tofutti, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons powdered egg substitute, such as Ener-g Egg Replacer

2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon oil, or 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

LIME GLAZE:

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons liquid non-dairy coffee creamer

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

1. For the pan sauce, spray two 8-inch round cake pans with vegan cooking spray.

2. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half out to an 8 by 12-inch rectangle.

3. For the filling, place the cream cheese, egg substitute, water, sugar, flour, and cinnamon oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the coconut and pulse just until blended. Spread each dough rectangle with half the filling. Starting with a long side, roll the dough up and form into a tight 12-inch cylinder. Cut each cylinder into 9 slices and place, smooth side up, in the prepared pan, starting with the perimeter and working toward the center of the pan. Cover with tea towels and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes or until the rolls have risen and browned.

5. For the glaze, whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the warm rolls.

These moist rolls, baked in muffin tins, have a fabulous flavor and are as delicious for dessert as they are for breakfast. Bake these in batches, and sneak a roll or two as you go. For a nonalcoholic glaze, simply use more nondairy coffee creamer and 1 teaspoon rum extract in place of bourbon.

PAN SAUCE:

Vegan cooking spray

SWEET POTATO FILLING:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoons powdered egg substitute, such as Ener-g Egg Replacer

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups canned and drained sweet potatoes, mashed

CINNAMON STREUSEL:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons vegan buttery sticks, such as Earth Balance, softened

DOUGH:

Flour for dusting

1 recipe Vegan Cinnamon Roll Dough

BOURBON ICING:

1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon vegan buttery stick, softened

1 tablespoon liquid nondairy coffee creamer

2 teaspoons bourbon

1. For the pan sauce, spray the inside of six 6-cup muffin tins with vegan cooking spray. For the filling, whisk the water and egg substitute together until blended. Whisk in the brown sugar and sweet potato until smooth.

2. For the Cinnamon Streusel, combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Work in the buttery stick with a fork or your fingers until the mixture forms crumbs.

3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Cut the dough into fourths. Roll each fourth to a 9-inch square. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Fit each square into a prepared muffin cup. Spoon in 1 tablespoon sweet potato filling and 2 teaspoons streusel. Cover with tea towels and let rest in a warm place until almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the crust has lightly browned and the filling is firm.

5. For the icing, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Spoon the icing into a sealable plastic sandwich bag. Snip a corner from the bag and squeeze an icing zigzag across each crown.