For me, it’s Sunday.  The sun comes up and begins to shine through the room, you hug that pillow and pull up those blankets, snuggling back in.  Then it hits, the smell of something so mind rattling it prevents sleep, the sweet roll or as most know it to be, the “cinnamon roll”.  Sundays were a day of sleeping in before the work week begins.  When there are cinnamon rolls baking, the aroma consumes you and causes you to float towards the smell without being in control of your own body.  *out-of-body experience*

The thought of something so cinnamony sweet, buttery, and chewy; covered in a sweet vanilla glaze, makes your mouth water.  I do believe that it’s food from the Heavens, wherever sugar-plum fairies work for Julia Child and Betty Crocker.

Sweet rolls in themselves can be put together with so many options; nuts, no nuts, glaze, icing, and frosting.  The list could go on.  Don’t get me started on the filling.  Okay, if you must.  I’m a die-hard fruit and berry lover.  Don’t get me wrong, cinnamon sweet rolls are deliciously sweet.  I for one, wanted to introduce my friend cherry to the sweet roll.  We go way back.  *You remember the Pink Ladies*

Black cherries or Bing cherries, are very rich in cherry flavor, but not too sweet.  I discovered that black cherry jam and preserves, are very palate pleasing when accompanying pastry or biscuits.  *Did you just eat a spoonful from the jar?  No!*

Sweet roll dough is so versatile.  I couldn’t wait to spread some cherry love on that doughy canvas, so I did just that.  If you have ever made sweet rolls, you have to be patient.  Sweet rolls have very few ingredients, are simple to put together, and the taste, well, you know!!  Lets talk ingredients; flour, sugar, salt, butter, an egg, water, milk of choice, and yeast. 

  Water, milk, and yeast….it’s MAGIC

Working with dough can be a little intimidating.  I suggest this be the first thing you experiment with, it’s very forgiving.  I like to think of sweet rolls as a one pot wonder.  Once your yeast mixture is complete, you mix all the ingredients together, flour last, and boom!  *You should use a machine with a dough hook, but if you don’t have one, by hand is fine.  You’ll have Popeye’s muscles when done.*

The dough then needs a little self-help before going into the bowl to rise.  Lightly oiling the bowl will prevent it from sticking. 

Once the dough has proofed; doubled in size, you will then roll it out to the size the recipe calls for.

You will need to trim the edges to make a clean shape.

Once you have the dough rolled out, you can now spread the cherry filling all over, to within 1/2 an inch to the edge.  Once rolled, and cut, the dough must proof again in its baking dish.  It’s all in “the dough will rise again” process.  The end result is so worth. 

After proof/double in size

At this point you are beyond drooling…or maybe that was just me.  I couldn’t wait for them to bake.  I was wandering around the house, playing with the dogs, drinking more coffee…coffee…coffee.  I was thinking about washing the windows. *No more coffee*

Once I began to really smell the aroma coming from the oven, it was time to make the glaze.  While getting the ingredients for the glaze, the thought of having a cocktail popped into my head.  No, no, not for recreational purposes…well not right now.  One of my favorite liquors is Amaretto.  The taste of cherries and almonds together is so smooth and sweet.  I took the classic sweet roll glaze and decided that some almond extract would be just the “cherry on top” to this treat.

Was that the timer, maybe not.  It was the timer.  I ran into the kitchen, almost tripping over the dogs.  *I love my puppies, there names should have been “Move” and “Do you need to lay there”*

I heard that halo glow music when I opened the oven door.  *AAAAAAAHHH*

Raaaaarrrrrr!  Now, now….they are hot Sarah, don’t just shove one in your mouth.  It was like a school girl crush approach.  I almost didn’t know what to do but stare at them. Once I snapped out of the euphoria, I grabbed my glazing bottle and begin to drizzle.  Once the glaze made contact with the hot sweet rolls, the intense aroma of cherries and almonds drifted right to my nose.  I closed my eyes and with a huge smile, took it all in.  *glazed my hand, keep eyes open*

These sweet rolls have joined our family now, permanently.  The flaky texture, the gooey sweet black cherry filling and the almond glaze, will take you to a new point in time.  A moment of calming with superior joy.  Okay, maybe that’s just how I feel when I buy new shoes. 

Looking forward to Sunday morning?  Or maybe Thursday afternoon.  Make them anytime, all the time.

I’m glad I got to use my new kitchen addition, the Sweet Tweet cake/dessert tier.  Compliments to dish&co, a newly opened store in the City of Corning, right on Market Street.  Some of the best kitchen ware around.  Unbelievably affordable, unique in design and color.  Do stop by and let them know that Sweet Sarah’s sent you!!!

*Recipe is not available at this time.  Will be available upon cookbook release.*