Lemony Raspberry Breakfast Rolls

I love this time of year. Farmer's markets, sun dresses, running outside, escaping the heat waves with ice cold drinks...

And berries. For days.

I love to have something special on Sunday mornings for breakfast, even if I'm breakfasting solo. In the winter, it's easy-- pancakes, waffles, cinnamon rolls. But in the summer, it's hard to choose, since carbs feel so heavy.

So on the day that I went to Firefly Berries and went bonkers picking currants and raspberries, I knew I had to challenge myself to make a summery baked good. Then I remembered this amazing recipe from Joy the Baker.

Lemony, soft, flaky rolls filled with fresh-picked lemon-raspberry filling, topped with a light lemon glaze. Perfection.

It'll take about five hours to make these. And about five minutes to eat five of them.

Note that I ate only berries all day. I even somehow worked them into a ketchup-sweet potato fry situation. Successfully.

SUMMER BUCKET LIST

1. Going to a drive-in movie theatre
2. Tubing with friends
3. Taking a road trip with a killer playlist
4. Picking TONS of berries-- and eating only berries for an entire day with no guilt
5. Saying "yes" to everything for a day (frightening)
6. Saying "no" to everything I don't want to do for a day (empowering)
7. Throwing an old-fashioned pajama party with the girls and staying up all night
8. Hosting a "Tour de Franz" (running back and forth between friends' apartments and mine while sampling boxed wines and wearing mustache tattoos)
9. Buying a new novel, going to a coffee shop, and sitting outside sipping iced americanos while reading an entire book in one fell swoop
10. Go to a music festival and be the first one dancing
11. Putting the strangest things I can think of into cookies and sharing them with you
12. Learn to make one signature cocktail 

Lemony Raspberry Breakfast Rolls

Adapted from Joy the Baker

For dough:

1 almond cup milk

2/3 cup sugar

1 packet yeast

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup for kneading

For the lemon-raspberry filling:

1 pint fresh raspberries (lucky me-- I picked mine that morning!)

1/3 cup sugar plus 1/2 cup sugar for dusting

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the glaze:

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

1 tsp lemon extract

In a small saucepan, warm the almond milk about 95-100 degrees.  Pour the warm milk an electric stand mixer. With a paddle attachment, mix the sugar and yeast into the warm milk and let sit for 5 to 7 minute, until foamy.

Add the butter, eggs, lemon extract, and sea salt to the yeast mixture; combine, then add 4 1/4 cups flour.  Beat on low speed with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes.  Replace the paddle with a dough hook and beat dough on medium speed for about 10 minutes.

Dust a clean counter with flour.  Scrape the dough out onto the work surface.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of flour and knead for about 2 minutes. Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl.  Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough.  Cover with a damp kitchen towel, and place in a slightly warm place to rise for 2 hours (this is the first of two rises).

Grease a 9x13 pan with butter. Set aside.

Medium bowl toss together raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch.  Crush the raspberries gently--  I used my hands.  Set aside.

When the dough has doubled in size, knead gently on a floured surface.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough to approximately 1/4" thick.

Spread the butter over the dough then spread filling. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

Tightly roll up the dough into a long log.  Cut the log into quarters, then cut each quarter into 3 pieces.  Quickly and carefully place rolls in pan. Cover with a warm, damp kitchen towel and allow to rise another hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake rolls 20 to 25 minutes, until golden.  Remove from oven, allow to cool for 30 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, lemon extract, and water.  Drizzle glaze over cooled rolls and serve.