Healthy Breakfasts for the Winter Months

--> Eating healthy and comforting meals throughout the winter months can feel like a contradiction. When snow is on the ground, and the wind is howling, most of us crave bacon, eggs, pancakes, and sticky buns. Indulging in such comfort foods during the wintertime can zap energy levels and slow you down. However, most of the satisfaction from comfort foods generally comes from the scent! During the month of December, we will be posting morning recipes for the wintertime that will fulfill the need for comfort while helping you stay on track with your health! Be sure to keep checking in!

Healthy Cinnamon Rolls for the Holiday Season

Yes, even cinnamon rolls can be made healthy while retaining all that yummy gooey goodness!

Ingredients:

*This recipe will require 3 hours of total rising time. So plan accordingly.

Dough Ingredients:

1 packet active dry yeast

1/2 tsp. honey

1/8 cup warm water (100-115 degrees F)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. olive oil + a little extra on reserve

1 egg

3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup honey

1 tbsp. molasses

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tbsp. cinnamon

Topping (optional):

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

*This will be all done in one large mixing bowl

Step 1: Pour the yeast into the bowl and mix in the warm water and the 1/2tsp. honey. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Now, add the almond milk, 1/4 cup honey, salt, olive oil, and egg to the yeast mixture.

Whisk gently until combined.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour. When it’s partially mixed and too thick to mix with the spoon any longer, begin kneading by hand. This will be very sticky at first, but you’ll find that the more you knead, the more the gluten starts to pull everything together. In the end, you’ll have a fairly firm ball of dough. So keep kneading (about 10-15minutes).

Coat the ball of dough in a thin layer of olive oil and set back in the bowl. Cover with a towel and let stand for 1 hour to rise.

Punch down the dough one last time, cover and let sit for 10 minutes whlie you prepare the filling.

In a medium bowl, blend all your filling ingredients together. You should have a nice, thick, molasses-like filling when you are done mixing.

On a generously floured surface, roll out your dough. Again, be generous with the flour. If you are not, the dough will stick to your counter making the rolling process a real chore. Roll the dough in a rectangle. Cut with a knife if necessary and place the cut offs in the center of the dough to be rolled back in with the rolling pin.

Pour the honey mixture into the middle of the dough.

Smear on your filling. Make sure it only touches 3 of the four sides of your rectangle.

Roll the dough, starting with the side that has the honey mixture up to the edge.

When you get it rolled almost all the way, use your fingers to “pain” some water onto the edge of the dough that does not have any honey mixture on it. Give the dough one final roll so the dough will be “glued shut” by the water.

Note: If you get to this point and feel like you should just throw the whole thing in the trash, you’re probably doing it right.

Cut the roll into approximately 1 inch strips, and place each strip in an oiled baking pan or casserole dish. You want the dish to be big enough to give your rolls a little room for rising, but so they fit tightly after rising. The recipe suggests to use a 9x13 pan. But if you have something one size smaller, go with that. If the pan is too big, all the filling will run out.

Cover the dish with a towel and let the dough rise, one last time, for 1 hour.

Preheat your oven for 375 degrees F.

If using the pecans, sprinkle them on now. Place rolls in the oven and bake for 15-18minutes.

Allow for cooling and squeeze some honey over the top of the rolls.

Nutrition Facts:

Yields: 15 Rolls / Serving Size: 1 Roll / Calories: 188 / Previous Points: 3 / Points Plus: 5 / Total Fat: 4g / Saturated Fat: 1g / Trans Fat: 0g / Cholesterol: 20mg / Sodium: 60mg /