Double Chocolate Chip Raspberry Filled Sweet Rolls (Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Egg/Rice/Grain Free and Vegan)

First and foremost- do your best to ignore the sad blurriness of this photo- my camera chord is missing- this was a  iphone attempt. (Better than nothing I suppose).

You know how sometimes you have an idea for a recipe that you think will be super easy to just throw together.. and then its not easy.  Really not easy at all? That was this recipe- BUT I think I made it difficult on myself this time around. Here’s the truth- I know very very little about Coconut Flour. What I did know is that its capable of doing absolutely wonderful things. So I figured it was time to put my learning cap on and start experimenting.

So as a result- Coconut Flour became the base for these Sweet Rolls- and well its was a battle. Tonight at 1:00am I pulled the 3rd trial from the oven.  And overall I’m happy with this final batch. However I must warn you- these sweet rolls are a bit more cake-ey than Bread-y. Why? I’m going to blame that on the Coconut Flour- Im learning that it tends to make super soft baked goods. In the future I’m going to implement a Gluten Free Grain Containing flour mixture to see what happens. (AND of course I’ll share my results)

Here are a few things your going to want to know before getting started:

The yeast- It combined with the coconut flour did not create a significant rise for me- I did get some. I teamed it with a heavy dose of Baking Powder which saved the day. Giving these a nice size when everything was said and done.

The Thickness of the “dough” might throw you off. Its Not thick..its not thin.. and it needs to be just the way I have called for it to be. I tested it thicker and thinner- neither really worked- Thinner gave me a nice rise BUT the sweet rolls ended up as a goo-ey mess. Making the dough dryer resulted in a yeast that did not rise at all- and firmer sweet rolls that tasted more like bread but were on the small side. So this recipe is my happy medium.  Due to the odd thickness of the dough- your going to want to oil both your hands and wax paper well- this will prevent all sticking and make the dough quite easy to work with. You will have to be on somewhat gentle side- but trust me- it will all come together!

The eggs- I made this recipe with eggs and also with the egg replacer. Either works. Take your pick. (Clearly the Egg Free version for the Vegan’s!)

The Filling.. these taste FANTASTIC with Chocolate chips in the center. I made them once stuffed with Frozen Raspberries- I felt that the berries made for a slightly too moist center- meanwhile my husband was all about the it. I would recommend reserving  berries to place on top of the sweet rolls when you serve them!

Those of you out there that are skilled Coconut Flour Artisan’s I would love to learn from you!  Please feel free to leave comments with any facts you may know!

So Anyways- this recipe is fun. I think you will enjoy it. Its the perfect Valentines Treat. Its a little different – which is what I love about it. Like I said expect more of a cake like texture.

**The Headers for my ingredients are acting funky (not sure why) SO for this recipe- the first 14 ingredients are for the sweet rolls- the last 5 listed are for the filling and for the pan. (Sorry for any confusion)**

Ingredients

• 7 TBS Melted Earth Balance Butter (or Melted Coconut Oil)
• 1 cup Sugar (I used Cane Sugar- however Xylitol, Sucanat or Regular ol’ sugar will do.)
• 2 Eggs OR Ener-g Egg Replacer (1 TBS egg replacer + 4 Tbs Water)
• 2/3 Cup Warm Milk + 1 TBS sugar
• 1 TBS Fast acting yeast
• 1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour + 1 TBS
• 1/8 Cup Potato Starch Flour
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder (I really like Hershey’s Special Dark-Powder)
• 1/3 Cup + 1 Tsp Coconut Flour
• 2 1/2 Tsp Xanthan Gum (Or Guar Gum)
• 1 TBS Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 TBS OIl Or Melted Butter (Make sure the butter is close to room temp)
• 1/4-1/2 Cup Raspberry Preserves (I have called for Preserves instead of Jam or Jelly as they will spread easier)
• 1/4 Cup Sugar (I used cane)
• 1/2 Cup Dairy Free Chocolate Chip (Enjoy Life) (This amount can be more or less)
• Oil or Melted Butter For the Pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
2. In a small bowl or glass combine the milk, sugar and heat it to slightly warmer than room temp. Add the yeast and set aside.
3. In a Bowl Combine all dry ingredients- and then mix in all your wet- adding the yeast/milk mixture last once it has started to bubble and froth. Mix the dough together really well- you will notice it will thicken as you stir it.
4. Roll out a sheet of wax or parchment paper- Spray it with non stick spray or with some oil. Oil Your hands and place the blob of dough into the sheet.
5. Slowly and gently using your hands push the dough out as flat as possible in a rectangular shape. A well oiled rolling pin might work here if you are gentle. You want the dough about an 1/8 inch thick.
6. Once the dough is “rolled out” Using a Brush- cover the dough with the Raspberry Preserves. Drizzle on the melted butter or Oil. Evenly distribute the sugar and finally add the Chocolate Chips.
7. Now its time to roll the dough. For the person out there that has never done this before- think of the shape of a rolling pin- thats what you are going for. Use the wax paper as a guide and slowly roll the dough onto itself until you run out of dough.
8. Grab a Pie Plate (or something similar in side) and throw some Oil in Butter in to help prevent sticking.
9. Using a Sharp knife- cut the “log” of dough into smaller sections. Do not fret- this might be a little messy-  move carefully and quick. Place the sweet rolls side by side in the dish until they all are in.
10. Place this dish on your preheated stove- cover it with a towell and allow them to bask in the stoves warmth and rise just slightly for 35-40 minutes.
11. Place the risen sweet rolls into the oven on the top shelf (to avoid burning) and allow them to bake 35-40 minutes. (Keep an eye as they like to burn if they are in too long!)
12. Remove from the oven- allow them to cool slightly and drizzle on top some additional Raspberry Preserve and a Few Fresh or Thawed Raspberries.

Happy Day of Love (a few days early!)

xo,

Brittany