Queen Bee Cinnamon Rolls or
Pecan Sticky Buns
I do not exaggerate, these are virtually indistinguishable from white flour cinnamon rolls.
You will swear they contain gluten! They don’t.
It is important to read through entire recipe and follow directions exactly.
You will want to make the roux first so it can come to room temperature. The bromelain enzyme is what makes these soft, the roux adds texture and stability, the apple juice enhances rise, gelatin and xanthan gum provide structure.
This recipe takes about 2 hours plus the rise time.
You will swear they contain gluten! They don’t.
It is important to read through entire recipe and follow directions exactly.
You will want to make the roux first so it can come to room temperature. The bromelain enzyme is what makes these soft, the roux adds texture and stability, the apple juice enhances rise, gelatin and xanthan gum provide structure.
This recipe takes about 2 hours plus the rise time.
Sweet Roll Dough
Whisk dry ingredients in separate bowl, set aside
3 cups + 2 Tb Queen Bee Bread, Biscuit, Pie Flour
¾ cup tapioca starch
1 Tb instant gelatin (NOW brand instant gelatin is great)
1 tsp xanthan gum (in addition to xanthan gum in BBP)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp bromelain enzyme powder (one 500mg capsule)
⅓ cup organic sugar minus 1 Tb to proof yeast
⅓ cup soft butter
1 tsp apple cider vinegar or raw coconut amino vinegar
1 large egg, room temperature
½ cup roux, room temperature; recipe below
Proof
1 Tb organic yeast, or active dry yeast
¾ organic apple juice, Knudsen’s apple juice with ascorbic acid (enhances rise)
1 Tb sugar taken from the 1/3 cup used in the sweet roll dough
Filling
1/3 cup softened butter, in a pinch I’ve used a mix of butter and Nutiva shortening
1/3 cup organic raisins, optional
Combine in a small bowl:
1/3 coconut palm sugar with 1/16 tsp of stevia powder concentrate or brown sugar
1 Tb cinnamon
2 Tb melted butter for brushing rolls near the end of the bake time. Optional
Icing
Note: icing will not be white with organic powdered sugar
Combine:
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp almond extract
2 Tb milk or non-dairy milk substitute
Stir together:
1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tb soft butter, or non-dairy margarine
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more liquid as needed
For Cinnabon Knockoff Icing, see below.
Pecan Sticky Buns
4 Tb butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tb organic corn syrup (or maple syrup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tb heavy whipping cream
pinch of salt
about 1 cup of chopped pecans
Over low heat, in a small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, corn syrup (or maple syrup), stirring until sugar dissolves. Add vanilla extract, whipping cream and a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and pour into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan with high sides. Sprinkle with pecans. Place cut cinnamon rolls on top. Let rolls rise a second time for about 20 minutes. Then bake 18-20 minutes in 375° oven. Cool for 2 minutes then invert onto platter.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°
In separate bowl, whisk together Queen Bee BBP flour, tapioca starch, gelatin, xanthan gum, bromelain and salt.
Warm apple juice in a small pan to 110° - 115°, use low heat; do not boil. Pour into a glass bowl or measuring cup and whisk in 1 Tb sugar and 1 Tb yeast. Sit in a warm place to proof for 5-7 minutes.
In a stand mixer, cream butter and remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Mix in egg and then roux and 1 cup flour mixture. Beat until combined. Add proofed yeast/juice and more flour mixture, blend. Continue adding remaining flour 1 cup at a time until it comes together as a slightly sticky, dense ‘batter’. Now continue to mix on medium speed for two minutes (do not skip this). Don’t worry you will be able to roll this dough on a board.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and then turn over so oiled side is up. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until dough is almost double in size. About 45 minutes. I sit the bowl on stove top near the warm oven vent. The dough will be slightly sticky, but quite manageable.
There are several flour combinations good for flouring work surface OR you can use tapioca starch. A mixture of half cassava flour and half arrowroot is good for flouring the board. You can also use millet seed flour instead of cassava, but use 1/3 to 2/3 ratio since millet seed flour can be bitter.
DO NOT KNEAD THE DOUGH.
If you have a large board, use all the dough.
I have dampened my counter top and used two large pieces of plastic wrap to create a large space for rolling all dough at once. The dampness causes the plastic wrap to stick to the counter.
Turn out the risen dough onto the floured board. Flour your hands and pat dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle with more flour and with floured rolling pin begin to roll out the dough to about 16 x 14” and dough is ¼” thick creating a rectangle shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you want edges to be somewhat straight. You can trim them if you like with a knife dipped in warm water.
Using an offset spatula, spread very thin layer of 1/3 softened butter. Leave a ½” edge on the longest side for sealing. Sprinkle generously with the coconut palm sugar/cinnamon/stevia mixture or brown sugar. Then sprinkle raisins if using. Now slightly press in the sugar and raisins with your rolling pin.
Begin rolling dough towards the 1/2” edge. Dampen the edge with warm water and finish rolling dough. With dampened fingers seal the edge of the dough to the roll.
I slice the roll with a long strand of thread. You can also use a sharp knife sprayed with oil. Wipe knife and spray again for each slice.
Notch the center of the roll. Then make a slight mark every 1-1/4” (2” for deeper rolls). Gently slide the thread underneath the roll (you might have to gently lift the roll) to the middle mark and pull two ends of thread across each other quickly, slicing the dough. Repeat with each section. Place rolls in an oiled glass pan with about 1/8” of space between. Or place rolls in pan with Sticky Bun Topping.
Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for about 20 minutes on the stovetop. They will look thickened with sides beginning to touch.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and brush tops with the melted butter and continue to bake for 2 more minutes. Increase bake time a few minutes if you cut 2” buns.
Allow to cool until still warm and then spread with the icing.
These freeze well.
Japanese Water Roux (Tangzhong Roux)
Use ½ cup roux for cinnamon roll recipe.
The water roux is made by combining 2-1/2 Tb Queen Bee flour with 1/2 cup tepid water in a small saucepan. Whisk vigorously to combine.
Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to where the whisk leaves a trail visible behind it.
Spread roux on a small plate to cool while continuing with recipe.
Cinnabon Knockoff Icing
Combine ¼ cup softened butter, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla. Blend in 1-1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar.
Whisk dry ingredients in separate bowl, set aside
3 cups + 2 Tb Queen Bee Bread, Biscuit, Pie Flour
¾ cup tapioca starch
1 Tb instant gelatin (NOW brand instant gelatin is great)
1 tsp xanthan gum (in addition to xanthan gum in BBP)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp bromelain enzyme powder (one 500mg capsule)
⅓ cup organic sugar minus 1 Tb to proof yeast
⅓ cup soft butter
1 tsp apple cider vinegar or raw coconut amino vinegar
1 large egg, room temperature
½ cup roux, room temperature; recipe below
Proof
1 Tb organic yeast, or active dry yeast
¾ organic apple juice, Knudsen’s apple juice with ascorbic acid (enhances rise)
1 Tb sugar taken from the 1/3 cup used in the sweet roll dough
Filling
1/3 cup softened butter, in a pinch I’ve used a mix of butter and Nutiva shortening
1/3 cup organic raisins, optional
Combine in a small bowl:
1/3 coconut palm sugar with 1/16 tsp of stevia powder concentrate or brown sugar
1 Tb cinnamon
2 Tb melted butter for brushing rolls near the end of the bake time. Optional
Icing
Note: icing will not be white with organic powdered sugar
Combine:
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp almond extract
2 Tb milk or non-dairy milk substitute
Stir together:
1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tb soft butter, or non-dairy margarine
Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more liquid as needed
For Cinnabon Knockoff Icing, see below.
Pecan Sticky Buns
4 Tb butter or margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tb organic corn syrup (or maple syrup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tb heavy whipping cream
pinch of salt
about 1 cup of chopped pecans
Over low heat, in a small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, corn syrup (or maple syrup), stirring until sugar dissolves. Add vanilla extract, whipping cream and a pinch of salt. Stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and pour into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan with high sides. Sprinkle with pecans. Place cut cinnamon rolls on top. Let rolls rise a second time for about 20 minutes. Then bake 18-20 minutes in 375° oven. Cool for 2 minutes then invert onto platter.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°
In separate bowl, whisk together Queen Bee BBP flour, tapioca starch, gelatin, xanthan gum, bromelain and salt.
Warm apple juice in a small pan to 110° - 115°, use low heat; do not boil. Pour into a glass bowl or measuring cup and whisk in 1 Tb sugar and 1 Tb yeast. Sit in a warm place to proof for 5-7 minutes.
In a stand mixer, cream butter and remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Mix in egg and then roux and 1 cup flour mixture. Beat until combined. Add proofed yeast/juice and more flour mixture, blend. Continue adding remaining flour 1 cup at a time until it comes together as a slightly sticky, dense ‘batter’. Now continue to mix on medium speed for two minutes (do not skip this). Don’t worry you will be able to roll this dough on a board.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and then turn over so oiled side is up. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until dough is almost double in size. About 45 minutes. I sit the bowl on stove top near the warm oven vent. The dough will be slightly sticky, but quite manageable.
There are several flour combinations good for flouring work surface OR you can use tapioca starch. A mixture of half cassava flour and half arrowroot is good for flouring the board. You can also use millet seed flour instead of cassava, but use 1/3 to 2/3 ratio since millet seed flour can be bitter.
DO NOT KNEAD THE DOUGH.
If you have a large board, use all the dough.
I have dampened my counter top and used two large pieces of plastic wrap to create a large space for rolling all dough at once. The dampness causes the plastic wrap to stick to the counter.
Turn out the risen dough onto the floured board. Flour your hands and pat dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle with more flour and with floured rolling pin begin to roll out the dough to about 16 x 14” and dough is ¼” thick creating a rectangle shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you want edges to be somewhat straight. You can trim them if you like with a knife dipped in warm water.
Using an offset spatula, spread very thin layer of 1/3 softened butter. Leave a ½” edge on the longest side for sealing. Sprinkle generously with the coconut palm sugar/cinnamon/stevia mixture or brown sugar. Then sprinkle raisins if using. Now slightly press in the sugar and raisins with your rolling pin.
Begin rolling dough towards the 1/2” edge. Dampen the edge with warm water and finish rolling dough. With dampened fingers seal the edge of the dough to the roll.
I slice the roll with a long strand of thread. You can also use a sharp knife sprayed with oil. Wipe knife and spray again for each slice.
Notch the center of the roll. Then make a slight mark every 1-1/4” (2” for deeper rolls). Gently slide the thread underneath the roll (you might have to gently lift the roll) to the middle mark and pull two ends of thread across each other quickly, slicing the dough. Repeat with each section. Place rolls in an oiled glass pan with about 1/8” of space between. Or place rolls in pan with Sticky Bun Topping.
Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise again for about 20 minutes on the stovetop. They will look thickened with sides beginning to touch.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and brush tops with the melted butter and continue to bake for 2 more minutes. Increase bake time a few minutes if you cut 2” buns.
Allow to cool until still warm and then spread with the icing.
These freeze well.
Japanese Water Roux (Tangzhong Roux)
Use ½ cup roux for cinnamon roll recipe.
The water roux is made by combining 2-1/2 Tb Queen Bee flour with 1/2 cup tepid water in a small saucepan. Whisk vigorously to combine.
Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened to where the whisk leaves a trail visible behind it.
Spread roux on a small plate to cool while continuing with recipe.
Cinnabon Knockoff Icing
Combine ¼ cup softened butter, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla. Blend in 1-1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar.