Thoughts:

Every now and again, I get recipe suggestions from readers, and when they’re good, I like to share them, too. My notes from over a year ago say that this one comes from FB reader Karyn, 

And it is definitely a winner. 

Dear readers, this is a recipe well worth making. The gooey warmth of the straight-from-the-oven rolls as you pull them apart is so comforting. Although it took me ages to try these out, it has actually become a staple here at The Inn, especially when overnight guests merit something a little special for breakfast. 

One serious perk of this recipe is that it has the feel of cinnamon rolls, but the advantage of being a relatively last minute dessert, since it requires no time at all for the dough to rise, something that is often the downfall of my very good breakfast intentions. 

Where in Westeros?

Honestly, anywhere I can still eat them. 

But they strike me as a more northern dessert, with their hearty richness and apples. It’s a simple dish, at the end of the day, but filling and delicious. Because cinnamon is the only spice used, that could reflect the distance from bustling trade ports of the dish’s point of origin; spices in the medieval period in Europe were expensive ingredients, and I can only assume the same would be true of Westeros. 

Recipe for Gooey Apple Rolls

Dough recipe:

• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 4 ½ tea spoon of baking powder
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2/3 cup of butter
• 1 cup of milk
• 3 cups of finely minced apples
• 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar

Sugar bouillon recipe, simmered for 5 minutes

• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of brown sugar

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbs flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tbs butter
• a dash of vanilla

Begin by mixing up the dough: add together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then rub in the butter. Gradually work in the milk until you have a dough that has completely come together. Knead for a few minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface into a long rectangle about 1/4″ thick. Spread the minced apples over the dough, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and carefully roll the whole thing up, making sure to keep the apple bits as evenly distributed as possible throughout the roll. 

Preheat the oven to 425F. Heavily butter a baking pan, probably around 9″x13″ or thereabouts. Make up the sugar bouillon by gently warming the water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cut the rolled dough into slices roughly 1″ thick and lay in the pan, cut sides up. Continue until all the dough is used up (although ever since I can remember, I’ve eaten those little knobbly end bits that are obviously too ugly to be included… ). Pour the cooled sugar bouillon evenly over the rolls, and bake for around 25 minutes, or until the tops of the rolls are a nice golden color. 

While the rolls are baking, make up the Brown Sugar Glaze. In a pot over medium-low heat, mix together the brown sugar and flour until the sugar is melted. Then add in the milk, butter, and vanilla. Bring up to a simmer for several minutes to thicken, then remove from heat. 

Serve the rolls with a good drizzle of this glaze over top. It would also be great with a dollop of ice cream, and while I personally don’t care for nuts in baked goods, I can recognize that they would be a fantastic addition to this recipe!