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Christmas Tree Sweet Rolls Recipe

Christmas Tree Sweet Rolls Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Every Christmas Eve, I make a special bread to enjoy the next morning while opening gifts. I often share one of the "trees" with a neighbor.

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Christmas Tree Sweet Rolls Recipe

Prep: 20 min. + rising Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Yield: 22 Servings

25 20 45

Ingredients

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2-1/2 cups warm water (110° to 115°), divided
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
7 to 8 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 cup chopped red and green candied cherries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
GLAZE:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red candied cherries and green colored sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add the milk powder; oil, sugar, salt, remaining water and 2 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until blended. Stir in the pineapple, cherries and pecans; set aside.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 11-in. x 9-in. rectangle. Spread filling to within 1/2 on. of edges. Roll up each rectangle jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal.
To form a tree, cut each log into 11 slices, 1 in. each. Cover two baking sheets with foil and grease well. Center one slice near the top of each prepared baking sheet for treetop. Arrange slices with sides touching in three more rows, adding one slice for each row, forming a tree. Center the remaining slice below the tree trunk. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer foil with trees to wire racks; cool for 20 minutes.
For glaze, in a bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, milk, butter and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a small pastry or plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of the bag. Pipe garlands on trees. Decorate with cherries and colored sugar. Yield: 2 trees (11 rolls each).

Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 each) equals 329 calories, 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 53 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Originally published as Christmas Tree Sweet Rolls in Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2003, p111

Big Batch Baked Goods

We enjoy homemade baked goods for breakfast, but I don’t have time to bake each morning before school. So I devote 1 day a month to making large batches of cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, cream cheese rolls and muffins. I place them in heavy-duty resealable plastic bags labeled with the date. (They freeze for about 2 months.) On busy mornings, it’s a snap to pop a few in the microwave to warm. The kids love the fresh-baked flavor. —Lori T., New London, Texas

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Christmas Tree Sweet Rolls

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Reviewed on Feb. 26, 2013 by arcadialady

This is our favorite sweet roll recipe. They are better than ones from the bakery. Since we don't like pineapple, I use a can of cherry pie filling instead of the pineapple. Also, when slicing the logs I find that an electric knife cuts the slices neatly and quickly.

Reviewed on Dec. 14, 2008 by Monarchsmomma

I had fun making these 'trees'. I had better luck frosting each roll while they were still a little warm, then sprinkling with green colored sugar and decorating with red cherry. I think that tree looked better too. I like the unusual filling.