Farm Fresh Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls with almonds and lemon cream cheese frosting

And so continues our week of strawberry fun. This time I wanted to serve up some strawberry goodness for breakfast... or for an evening treat, your choice.

I love cinnamon rolls, but what about with strawberries? I made up some quick jam the other day and thought it would go perfectly in these rolls. Combined with slivered almonds and some fresh sliced berries, it sounded like the perfect gooey filling for a sweet treat.

Speaking of jam, this was my first time making it in the bread machine. I was pleasantly surprised. It only required 3 ingredients, berries, sugar and lemon juice. That's it. Of course, it won't keep for long... but luckily it was never going to last long in our house.

I used fresh picked berries for this recipe. I am sure you could use frozen, if that is all you have handy, but they won't hold their shape like fresh will. Frozen just go all mushy on me when baked.

Oh, check out this fun strawberry slicer from Boon my husband ordered for me. Yeah, Boon... the same place I get all my kids' bath toys and organizers from. This cuts clean, uniform berry slices very quickly. My husband found it when we stopped to get crepes in Portland. The gal working there was slicing fresh berries with this tool. He had to get me one. Isn't that sweet?

But, back to cinnamon roll making. It follows pretty standard cinnamon roll making. Instead of smearing the dough with butter, lay down a foundation of jam or preserves. Then top with sliced berries, the cinnamon and sugar mixture, then a little slivered almonds.

Roll and up slice into 9-12 slices. I always go for fewer, yet larger rolls, I just smoosh them down in the baking pan a little before baking to entice them to spread out more.

After all that work you will be rewarded with a warm and sweet cinnamon roll... with the added depth of fresh berries.

I had a lot of fun with these rolls and hope you will be inspired to create your own batch.

Grab a glass of milk and let's get baking!

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls with Almonds and Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

You Will Need:
(For the dough)

• 3/4 c. milk
• 1/3 c. butter
• 3 1/4 c. flour
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg

(For the filling)

• 2 c. fresh strawberry jam, or preserves
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
• 1/3 c. slivered almonds

(For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting)

• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. half and half
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• the zest of one lemon
• sliced almonds for the top *optional

Start by making the dough. In a saucepan heat the milk and butter till the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together 2 1/4 c. flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a larage bowl. Transfer to a stand mixer and on medium, add in the egg and water. Once combined slowly add the cooled milk mixture and then add the remaining 1 c. of flour. The dough should come together and pull away from the sides. Add a little more flour if necessary,  the dough should be soft but not sticky. Let the dough rest in the mixer, covered, for 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, turn out and rull the dough into a 9"x15" rectangle. Spread the jam over the dough, top with sliced strawberries and then cinnamon and sugar. Roll up to create one long roll, then cut into 9-12 slices with a serrated knife. Transer rolls to a 9"x13" baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with a tea towl to rize for 30-45 minutes, or until they have started to spread out in the container.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops are turning golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the rolls to cool slightly before frosting.

Create the frosting by beating together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then add in the powdered sugar followed by the lemon and juice and zest. Drizzle the frosting over warm cinnamon rolls, top with a few sliced almonds and servie immediately.

Enjoy!