Sweet pastries such as cinnamon rolls are commonly served for breakfast, but they are more like a dessert with the amount of sugars they contain. Andrea, a college student in Tallahassee, Fla., would like to lose the freshman 15 that she gained her first year of college, but still enjoy the foods she loves.
Traditional cinnamon rolls are made with a moist, sweet dough which contains added fat and sugar, which is then rolled up with cinnamon and more sugar and then drizzled with icing (which of course, is basically more sugar).
In order to make a better-for-you cinnamon roll, I will reduce the amount of sugar in the dough recipe and add cardamom to enhance the flavor. Cardamom is a spice typically used Indian curries, chai tea and in Scandinavian sweet buns. Similar to ginger, cardamom helps to aid digestion and has been shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits.
Instead of drizzling icing on the top, I will sprinkle pearled sugar, which will give just enough sweetness without all the calories of icing. In order to add fiber and protein, I will replace part of the flour with whole wheat flour and add almonds to the topping. This recipe is now worthy of breakfast!
Ingredients:
1 cup skim milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
Filling
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Topping
1/4 cup pearled sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Instructions:
1. Warm the milk until it reaches a temperature of about 110 F. Add the yeast to the milk and stir to dissolve. Set aside for about five minutes.
2. In a large bowl mix together the sugar, salt, flour and cardamom.
3. Melt the margarine and add to yeast mixture. Stir to combine. Slowly add liquid mixture to the flour while stirring to combine.
4. When the mixture is too stiff to stir with a spoon, remove from bowl and continue to kneed for about 10 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic.
5. Cover with a clean towel and set in a warm place to rise (about 30 minutes).
6. Once dough has doubled in size, roll until the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 16 inches.
7. Leaving about 1/2 inch on one of the long sides, spread with margarine and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
8. Roll the dough lengthwise towards the bare side of the dough.
9. Cut roll in half and then half again. Then cut each quarter into thirds. You should now have 12 rolls.
10. Spray an 8- by 13-inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange rolls cut side up in dish and cover to rise again (about 30 minutes or until they reach desired size).
11. Brush with a small amount of milk and sprinkle with pearled sugar and almonds.
12. Bake in a 425 F oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes: 12 rolls
Nutrition Content (per roll):
178 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 30 g carbohydrates, 10 g sugars, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein, 145 mg sodium
-Written by Tanya Zuckerbrot for That's Fit
Are cinnamon rolls a staple of your holiday season fare? Would you try whipping up a healthier-alternative recipe for your friends and fam?
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