Delicious, fragrant, sweet, soft almond rolls are worth the little extra effort it takes!  My family loves these overnight almond rolls so much, they have been requested for our Christmas morning breakfast for two years now. Maybe you might want to start your own Christmas Almond Roll tradition!

This batch makes a lot, so be prepared to give some away, or maybe halve the recipe if you’re cooking for a smaller crowd.

The sweet dough recipe is my go-to for everything from the traditional cinnamon rolls to raisin buns to Hot Cross Buns. I’ve adapted it from Peter Reinhart’s recipe in Artisan Breads Every Day. Try it – you’ll be a huge fan too!

Be sure to make your marzipan ahead of time so that it can be chilled before you use it.

– One recipe Sweet Roll Dough (see below)

– 1/3 cup butter, melted and divided into two equal portions

– 3/4 – 1 cup granulated sugar, divided into two equal portions

– 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds

– One recipe prepared and chilled Almond Marzipan (see below)

– Almond Glaze

– 1/4 cup (ish) sliced almonds, for sprinkling on top

Sweet Roll Dough:

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup + 2 Tbsp lukewarm whole or lowfat milk (about 95 degrees F)

2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

5 tsp instant yeast

DIRECTIONS:

– In your bread machine bucket (technical term), pour in the liquids: milk and oil, add the sugar and salt, stir gently with something non-metal. (I don’t want you to scratch the non-stick lining of your bread machine bucket.)

– Add the flour, then the yeast on the very top.

– Turn the bread machine to the dough setting and punch that button!  Then go do something else for a bit (my dough setting is an hour and a half).

For Handmade/Mixer Sweet Dough Recipe, follow these instructions:

To make the dough, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Whisk the yeast into the milk until dissolved, and then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients, along with the oil.  If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  If mixing by hand, use a large wooden spoon and stir about 1 minute.  The dough should form a soft, coarse ball.

Switch to the dough hook and mix on med- low speed or by hand for 4 minutes, adding flour or milk as needed to create a smooth, soft, slightly sticky ball of dough.

Increase the speed to medium or stir by hand 2 minutes more, until the dough is soft, supple, and tacky but not sticky. 

Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 1 minute, then form into a ball.  Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl large enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size.  Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to four days.

On Baking Day
Remove the dough from the fridge about 3 hours before you plan to bake.  Divide the dough in half and form each piece into a ball.  Cover each ball with a bowl or plastic wrap and let rest 20 minutes.  Proceed with recipe as directed.

And now, back to our usual program (the directions):

– When it’s ready, tip the dough out onto a lightly greased surface (I use my dining room table), divide in two with a sharp knife and roll out into a 12×15″ rectangle. If dough starts to resist or shrink back, let it rest for a minute, then continue rolling. Dough should be between 1/4″ and 1/2″ thick.

-Using about 1/4 cup of the melted butter, spread evenly on dough rectangle, leaving length of the bottom inch bare and butter-free (so that it will stick to the rest of the dough when it’s rolled up).

– Sprinkle about 1/2 cup or so of sugar lightly over melted butter, again avoiding bottom inch.

– Using the prepared and chilled marzipan, slice long wedges off the log, then roll them thinly using a rolling pin. This works most easily with cold marzipan, and it will become more sticky and difficult to roll the warmer it gets, so work quickly!

– Taking the thin marzipan strips, break or cut them into large pieces and place evenly over melted butter and sprinkled sugar.

– Sprinkle slivered or sliced almonds evenly over marzipan.

– Beginning from top, begin gently rolling dough down over filling in a tight roll, carefully keeping roll even and gently sealing ends by pinching. When you reach the bottom edge of dough, help roll keep shape by gently pinching the edge to the dough underneath.

– With serrated knife, carefully slice 1 1/4″ slices (or thicker, if you like) and place on greased baking sheet (I use sided 11×17″ baking sheets – but remember to use what will fit inside your fridge!). If they seem sticky, lightly spray rolls with oil and then gently cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight.

– Repeat with second half of dough.

In the Morning:

– Take rolls out of fridge, uncover, and let sit on counter while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

– Bake rolls for about 13-15 mins, but not much longer (or they get dry), unless they were quite large. Rolls should be turning a light gold on top and a little on sides.

– Remove and let cool slightly before icing with Almond Glaze while warm.  Sprinkle on a few more sliced almonds before icing sets.

Almond Marzipan:

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp finely ground almond flour

9 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp corn syrup

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp rose water – food grade (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

– In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients till dough is smooth and holds together, forming a ball. If it’s too dry, add a tiny bit more corn syrup. Only add just the littlest smidge till it forms a thick dough. If it is too sticky, add a little more almond flour.

– Tip out marzipan ball and knead on a clean surface for about 30 seconds.  Shape into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate till it firms up.

– Marzipan can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks, or up to 3 months in the freezer (wrap and bag it well!).

Almond Glaze

1/4 cup melted butter

2 cups powdered sugar (more if needed)

dash salt

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 Tbsp milk, more as needed to achieve desired drizzling consistency

– Mix all ingredients till smooth. Taste, adjust as needed (More salt? More almond extract? More powdered sugar? More milk?).  Drizzle (or spread) over almond rolls.

ENJOY.

If you try these, let me know how they turn out for you!

– Maria