Best 6 Cranberry Cinnamon Christmas Tree Rolls Recipes

CRANBERRY-ORANGE CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Heat the water to 100 degrees F in a bowl in the microwave. (It should feel warm but not too hot.) Sprinkle the yeast and 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar over the top and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the flour, milk powder, salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk the melted butter and egg yolks into the yeast mixture, then pour into the well and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a shaggy ball.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust with more flour and knead, adding more flour as needed, until smooth but still slightly sticky, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the filling: Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, dried cranberries and cinnamon in a small bowl. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface, pat and roll out into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Mix the orange zest into the butter, then spread over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar and lightly press into the butter. Brush the clean edge with water, then tightly roll up the dough into a log, starting with a long side and rolling toward the clean edge; pinch the seam to seal.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar. Slice the dough log into 12 pieces and arrange cut-side up in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour, or you can refrigerate overnight, then in the morning let stand at room temperature 2 hours before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the rolls and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes in the baking dish.
• Meanwhile, make the icing: Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in the cranberry sauce. Spread a thin layer on the warm cinnamon rolls; serve with the remaining icing.

CHRISTMAS TREE ROLLS

Steps:

• Unroll crescent roll dough into a rectangle. Press seams and perforations to seal; roll lightly with a rolling pin. Spread butter over dough. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Seal edge. Cut into 22 slices. To form a tree, place slices on a greased baking sheet with sides touching and cut side up. Place one slice in the top row and two slices in the second row. Repeat with remaining rolls, adding one slice per row, until the tree has six rows. Center the one remaining slice under the last row for a truck. Bake at 350° for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack. Combine confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over warm rolls. Decorate with cherries if desired.

CRANBERRY CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over.)
• Put 5 cups flour, salt, and remaining sugar in bowl of electric mixer and mix with dough hook at low speed until combined. Whisk together milk and eggs in a small bowl, then add to dry ingredients along with yeast, beating at low speed until flour is incorporated. Beat at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add butter and continue beating at medium speed until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 4 minutes (it will be quite sticky).
• Rinse a large bowl with hot water. Add dough to wet bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prepare filling:
• Bring water and 1 cup granulated sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and simmer just until they begin to burst, about 2 minutes. Pour through a large sieve into a bowl and cool berries, reserving syrup for another use (such as a flavoring for seltzer).
• Form and bake buns:
• Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and dust with flour, then roll out into a 16-inch square.
• Brush off excess flour, then spread evenly with butter with a small metal offset spatula.
• Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and sprinkle evenly over dough. Dot dough evenly with drained cranberries, then sprinkle with nuts if using.
• Beginning with side nearest you, roll up dough, firmly but not tightly, into a log, then pinch seam to seal. Trim 1 inch off each end with a large knife and discard, then cut log crosswise into 12 slices.
• Arrange slices, cut sides up, in buttered cake pans (place 1 slice in center of each pan, then evenly space 5 more around it). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F while buns are rising.
• Bake buns in lower third of oven until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Make glaze:
• Stir together confectioners sugar and milk with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over buns while still hot.
• Serve buns warm or at room temperature.

CHRISTMAS MORNING CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine the milk, granulated sugar, butter, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment and stir to combine well. Add the eggs and stir until well mixed. Add the flour and mix on medium-high speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Punch the dough down and lightly flour a work surface. Lay the dough out and pat or roll the dough out into an 18-by-12-inch rectangle.
• For the filling: Butter a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Spread the softened butter evenly all over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border, then sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle with the pecans and raisins if using. Starting with a short end, roll up the dough and press and crimp the edges to seal. Cut the dough into 12 slices and arrange them in the buttered baking dish. If you want to bake them the same day, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Otherwise, refrigerate overnight; take out of the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the cinnamon rolls until puffed and golden brown all over, about 25 minutes.
• For the icing: Put the confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the melted butter, vanilla and 4 tablespoons of milk; whisk until smooth. Add additional milk, about 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to achieve a thick but spreadable consistency.
• Spread the icing over the warm cinnamon rolls. Serve warm.

ORANGE CRANBERRY CINNAMON ROLL TREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Align the sweet rolls on the baking sheet, placing them close together in rows, forming a tree shape. You want to decrease the number of rolls as you go up with each row starting with one at the top, then two below, then three below, then four below, then five. Place the last roll on the bottom row in the center.
• Insert a few cranberries into each roll. Bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and as much milk as needed to make a smooth pourable glaze. Top each roll with the glaze and let set, about 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine buttercream frosting with 2-3 drops green food coloring and mix to combine completely. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small tip.
• Pipe the green buttercream frosting onto the tree. Place red and green candied fruit on the buttercream to decorate and top with sprinkles.

CINNAMON-ROLL CHRISTMAS TREE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, sugar and cinnamon., On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12x8-in. rectangle. Spread with butter to within 1/2 in. of edges; sprinkle with sugar mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices., Center 1 slice near top of prepared pan, cut side down. Closely arrange 9 more slices to form 3 additional rows, adding 1 slice per row, to form a tree. Center remaining 2 slices at base of tree for trunk. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°., Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Spread with frosting; serve warm.