Labor Day Labors
Not sure if you noticed, but it was kinda hot over the Labor Day Weekend. With temperatures as high as they were, everything we had on our schedule got canceled. And, no one wanted to even think about going outside so we just laid around like slugs. Thank goodness it was the opening weekend for College Football.

The good news is that temperatures are coming down into normal territory. This is good for obvious reasons but also for one not too obvious. If I am not stuck inside bored out of my mind, I won’t find myself eating as much and I ate way too much this last weekend.

Because my daughter and I had cabin fever, we passed the time cooking. We made pasta salad, potato salad, and BBQ chicken. We also made an attempt at French Macarons. (We did okay for a first attempt but they weren’t too pretty…)

Amidst all of the dishes we whipped up, I did manage to make a new recipe for Berrylicious Sweet Rolls that I had been meaning to try out. You know, for the kids.

These rolls are a nice diversion from the usual cinnamon rolls, though nothing could replace cinnamon rolls on my list of awesome tastiness. Instead of cinnamon and sugar, the filling is made by mixing the frozen berries of your choice with sugar and some cornstarch. Personally, I am a fan of the frozen Marion berries we carry from Willamette Valley Fruit but you can use any good quality frozen berries.

These Berrylicious Sweet Rolls are not as sweet as you would think. But, they are definitely worth the work for a Sunday morning treat.

Be careful when baking them. Mine turned out darker than I intended because the original recipe called for too much baking time…or maybe it was just that hot in my kitchen…

Berrylicious Sweet Rolls
Yields 16 rolls
Start these the night before for a fantastic morning treat. Set them to rise in the fridge overnight, and just pop them in a preheated oven in the morning. (See instructions below.)

Ingredients
For the Dough
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
Marion berries
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more
for dusting

For the Filling
3 cups frozen berries, not thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the Icing
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
pinch of salt

Directions
Make the Dough
In a small saucepan, warm the milk until it reaches 95°F. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the
dough hook or paddle and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the softened butter, eggs, and salt. Add the flour and beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms (about 5 minutes). Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple (about 5-10 minutes longer).

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands 2 or 3 times. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly buttered bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 to 2 hours).

Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to extend up the short sides. Butter the paper and sides of the pan. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll it into a large rectangle approximately 12 x 24 inches in size.

Make the Filling
In another bowl, toss the frozen berries with the sugar and cornstarch.

Assemble the Sweet Rolls
Spread the filling evenly over the dough. And, tightly roll up the dough to form a 24-inch-long log. Working quickly, cut the log into 1-inch slices. Arrange the rolls in the baking pan, cut sides up. Scrape any berries and juice from the work surface into the baking
pan between the rolls. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let them sit in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, pull the pan out of the refrigerator and let the rolls come to room temperature

Bake the Sweet Rolls
Preheat the oven to 425°. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes, until they are golden and the berries are bubbling. Make sure to keep an eye on them so the rolls do not get too dark. Transfer the pan to a rack until cool enough to handle but still warm.

Make the Icing
In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar with the butter and heavy cream until the glaze is thick and spreadable. Invert the rolls onto a platter and peel off the parchment paper. Dollop glaze over each roll and spread with an offset spatula.

Serve warm or at room temperature.