pomegranate and lemon breakfast rolls {#MonkFruitintheRaw}

Success is a lovely thing... Unless it is a whole pan of melty, warm, lemony buns that you devour standing at your kitchen sink before anyone else in the house can get a chance to even see the darned things.

They start out lovely.

Then they are gone.

And it's just sad.

AND not good for the waistline. Not at all. Darn that Deb!

Unless, you made them with Monk Fruit in the Raw to reduce sugar content and create a lower calorie recipe for a sweet treat. I substituted regular sugar for Monk Fruit in the Raw - even made my own brown sugar by adding molasses to it - and it was every bit as sweet as the real deal. Sweeter, even!

I am very happy with the way this recipe turned out and would make it again very soon if only I could control myself.

Pomegranate and Lemon Breakfast Rolls
Adapted from Deb's Cranberry-Orange Breakfast Buns on Smitten Kitchen
Dough:
2 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
1/8 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw
3 tablespoons vegan butter, melted, plus additional to grease pan
3/8 cup soy milk
Zest of 1 1/2 lemon, finely grated (to be used in dough and filling, below)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting counter
1/2 packet (1 1/8 teaspoon) instant dry yeast
3/4 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon oil for bowl
Filling:
1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
1/2 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw
2-3 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
Lemon zest leftover from above
Icing:
3/4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cups powdered sugar

1. In a bowl, whisk the yolks, whole egg, Monk Fruit in the Raw, butter, soy milk and 3/4 of the lemon zest together (saving the rest for the filling). Add the flour along with the yeast and salt; stir until evenly moistened, then continue stirring and beating it for several minutes, until it comes together. Knead it for another 5 minutes. It will stick; don't sweat it. Just scrape everything up and into the oiled bowl when it's time to let it rise. The dough should be soft and moist, but not overly sticky. Scrape the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled, which will take between 2 and 2 1/2 hours.

2. Butter a 8x8-inch baking dish. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured work surface and roll it into a rectangle that is 18 inches wide and 12 or so inches long. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle it with the molasses/Monk Fruit mixture. Scatter the pomegranate over it, then the remaining lemon zest.

Roll the dough into a tight, 18-inch long spiral. Using a sharp serrated knife, gently saw the log into 1 1/2-inch sections; you should get 10-12. Arrange the buns evenly spread out in your baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or up to 16 hours.


3. Take your buns out of the fridge 30 minutes before you’d like to bake them, to allow them to warm up slightly. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake your buns until they’re puffed and golden, approximately 30 minutes.

Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let cool slightly. Make the icing by whisking the lemon juice and powdered sugar together. Spread a little on each bun, or drizzle it over the whole pan. Serve immediately.

I received free samples from Cumberland Packing Corp., maker of Monk Fruit In The Raw. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cumberland Packing Corp. and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.