After sharing the cardamom buns we fell in love with in Sweden, Eva—of From Scratch Stat shared with me her own unique take on sticky buns—using whole-wheat, ginger, lemon, and a beautiful beet-glaze. Now that I’m seeing Beets all throughout the farmer’s markets, it seemed like the perfect addition to the In Season recipe series.
Despite their gorgeous hue, beets suffer from a seriously bad rep. For many people (myself included), they are a “love-to-hate” ingredient. However, when mixed with a sticky-cinnamon bun hybrid (read lots of butter and sugar) and the zing of some freshly squeezed lemon juice, you may just change your mind. As children, we always rang in the first breeze of fall with a big batch of cinnamon rolls. These whole-wheat ginger cardamom sticky buns with beet glaze not only make for a delicious trip down memory lane but also make seasonal eating a breeze. The warm cardamom aroma coupled with the earthy, deep magenta beet glaze just screams “fall”. These sticky buns can be shaped in a round dish in typical cinnamon roll fashion, but I like to pinch the middle of the sliced roll for a twist on the classic shape.
While you are baking up a fall storm, don’t forget to save those lovely beet greens! Toss this lacinato kale/romaine lettuce-like hybrid into your next Caesar salad or freeze it for your favorite green smoothie later. The possibilities are endless! Down here in Florida, our seasons consist of hot and less hot; but when the proverbial fall hits, my go-tos are cinnamon rolls/sticky buns, hearty green salads, and whole wheat everything. These whole-wheat ginger cardamom sticky buns with beet glaze are the perfect way to sneak in those whole grains, but did you know you can take virtually any dough-based recipe and sub half of the bread flour for white whole wheat flour without and overwhelmingly noticeable texture change? Either way, give these lovely beet-glazed sticky buns a try today!
Whole-Wheat Ginger Cardamom Sticky Buns with Beet Glaze
by Eva of From Scratch Stat
For the dough:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup warm water, more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom (approximately 8 pods)
2.5 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
2.5 cups white whole wheat flour
For the filling:
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom (approximately 4 pods)
For the beet glaze:
1 medium beet, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
For the dough:
Butter the inside of a large mixing bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the milk, water, vanilla, 1 stick of butter, yeast, eggs, salt, sugar, cardamom, and flours for 4-5 minutes, until a soft elastic dough has formed. The dough should be slightly tacky to the touch.* Once the desired consistency has been achieved, knead the dough for another 7 minutes, until smooth.Transfer the dough to the buttered mixing bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. Meanwhile, place filling ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 16 x 24-inch rectangle. Using your hands, spread the remaining 1 ½ sticks of butter on top. Using a spatula, sprinkle the filling evenly over the butter layer. Starting at the short edge, roll the dough into a round log. Pinch the seam to seal. (At this point the dough can be wrapped in cling film and refrigerated overnight).** Line four large baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 ˚F. Using a serrated knife gently cut the log into twenty four 1-inch rolls, lay rolls flat, and pinch at centers. Space the rolls on baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile assemble the beet glaze.***
For the beet glaze:
Preheat the oven to 450 ˚F. Roast the peeled, quartered beet in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until tender. Once tender, allow the beet to cool completely on pan.Once the beet is completely cooled, combine the beet quarters, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and water in the bowl of a blender or a food processor. Blend on high until the beets form a smooth puree. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine beet mixture confectioner’s sugar on low speed. Generously drizzle glaze onto warm buns.
Notes:
*If the dough is too dry add more water one tablespoon at a time. Conversely if the dough is too wet add more flour one tablespoon at a time.
** 1 hour before baking, remove cinnamon rolls from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature.
***Be sure to roast beets ahead of time. They will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Thank you, Eva! Check out her Instagram—I’m going to try those Thanksgiving-leftover-baked eggs!
And thank you to Sarah Ann Noel for her help coordinating this series.
Eva is a soon to be OB/GYN living in sunny Florida, who’s mantra is “everything in moderation.” After growing up on the small Mediterranean island of Malta, she now loves recreating travel-inspired recipes and adventuring with her husband and rescue pup, Claudia. She started From Scratch Stat in 2014 to chronicle her newlywed adventures in the kitchen and to inspire others to face their culinary fears one mouthful at a time. Eva believes that with a little planning, cooking from scratch does not need to be overwhelming or a huge time commitment. Her blog features a fresh, from-scratch takes on both classic recipes and classics with a twist. On a day off, you can find Eva browsing the local farmers market or working off her cheese addiction in downward dog (with her dog) in the park.
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