I used to be terrified of yeast recipes; they seemed so fussy and time-consuming, and was something best left to the bread machine. I never baked anything with yeast until around this time a year ago, when I made made the Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bread, and then her cinnamon rolls, and then I made these

...and the rest is history, as they say.

Sweet rolls are actually quite easy to make. There's some wait time, but they don't actually require that much labor. And these raspberry sweet rolls are just...perfect. A perfect breakfast, tea treat, midnight snack. A tender, fluffy, bread with a tart, juicy, sweet raspberry filling made with fresh raspberries, and a bright lemon glaze. I realize that adding strawberries to this photo doesn't make much sense, but I'd be interested to know how well this recipe would work with strawberries.

The process for making the dough is almost exactly the same as for the

Chelsea Buns

. Super-easy and fuss-free.

To make the filling, heat the raspberry and sugar until it bubbles, and then add water and cornstarch and cook it until it thickens a little.

Then add the vanilla.

Roll the dough into roughly an 18 x 12 inch rectangle.

Carefully pour the raspberry filling on the dough.

Spread it smoothly over the dough.

Then, starting from the end away from you, start rolling the dough into log. Don't worry if some of the filling oozes out. Don't you love my turquoise nail polish? (:

Like so.

Cut the log into 1.5-inch slices. You should get about 12 slices.

Put them in a 13 x 9 inch pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Bake them for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees F, until golden.

Meanwhile make the glaze. Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Drizzle it over buns.

Don't you want to dive into this goodness? Yum.

Recipe below. Enjoy!

Love always,

Caroline

Click here for the printable Raspberry Sweet Rolls Recipe.

Raspberry Sweet Rolls

Dough portion from

The Pioneer Woman

. Filling adapted from

Tutti Dolce

.

Yields: 12 rolls

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 ¼ teaspoon yeast

2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups raspberries

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp water

2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze:

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Mix together the milk, sugar, and vegetable oil in a pot and heat it until the mixture is just below boiling. Take of the heat and let cool until the liquid is only warm.
Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid and let it sit for a minute.
Stir in 2 cups of flour. The mixture will be very sticky and wet. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the the raspberries and honey over medium heat, stirring it continuously to prevent it from burning, until it is bubbly. Add the water and cornstarch and cook for another minute or two until the mixture has thickened slightly. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool.
After the dough has risen for 1 hour, stir in the remaining ¼ cup flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt If the dough is still too wet to work with, add in a little more flour.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a 18 inch x 12 inch rectangle.
Carefully spread the raspberry mixture over the dough.
Starting from the long end away from you, carefully roll the dough into a log.
Cut the log into 1.5-inch slices, about 12 slices.
Place in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the rolls for about 15 minutes, until golden. Let cool until warm.
Make the glaze. Mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar.
Drizzle the glaze over the rolls, and serve.