Many of the recipes that I create, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas, are ones that remind me of my childhood.  It is not to say that I do not have good, recent memories, however, the years leading up to my 11-12th birthday are definitely some of the most fond times of my life.  Anything after then has been tainted with many painful memories as the effects of my Chronic Lyme Disease set it.  Though I would never go back and change the fact that I am ill, thinking back on some of the past experiences can still be hard, as the trauma of certain events is undoubtably real and unforgettable.  Yet one happy memory that I will always remember are the amazing cinnamon rolls my mom used to bake off the morning of Christmas while we took turns reading the birth of Jesus from the bible and opening presents.  These past times are simply like a fairytale to me, which is why I wanted to create a recipe that would allow others, who hold the same tradition of baking sweet rolls on Christmas morning, to not miss out on this special treat.Personally, I find these cinnamon rolls to die for, as you can probably tell with all of the photos I simply had to include.  After having such success with my pie crust in my pear galette and spiced pumpkin pie recipe, I knew I had to adapt it into a cinnamon roll.  Therefore, with Christmas quickly approaching, and cinnamon rolls being a treat my mother always prepared on Christmas morning, I decided to dive head first into creating them.  Not only did the dough roll out easily, but the rolls both uffed up and held together like any regular, yeast risen cinnamon roll.  After allowing the rolls to cool for 10 minutes and snapping a few pictures, I made the first cut with the corner of my fork.  The result? An utterly delicious, flakey, fluffy, perfectly sweetened and spiced roll that married perfectly with the naturally-sweetened frosting slathered on top of it.  Though my family did not eat them until the next morning for breakfast, they were still equally tasty heated up a day later.  Overall, these cinnamon rolls are the perfect treat for anyone’s Christmas morning, as they fill both the house and spirits of all individuals with Christmas cheer!  As a quick side note, the cinnamon rolls are best within the few hours after they come out of the oven.  Once they fully cool, the gooey filling and soft dough both become a bit more firm due to the natural consistency of the ingredients used.  Therefore, if you are looking to eat any leftovers, simply frost the cinnamon rolls and place them in a warmed oven for 10-20 minutes until they are heated completely through.  Please enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

• 6 (1/2 cup packed cup) Medjool dates – pitted & soaked in 1 cup boiling water overnight *Be sure to save the soaking water
• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated palm shortening
• 1/8th tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Frosting Ingredients

• 6 Medjool dates – pitted & soaked in 1 cup boiling water overnight
• 2 tbsp date soaking water
• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated palm shortening 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• Before making anything, puree one peeled plantain until smooth, transferring to a dish for later use.
• In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, pulse together sweet potato flour, arrowroot flour, baking soda, sea salt, and maple sugar until fully combined.
• Add 6 tbsp pureed plantain, vanilla, and 5 tbsp of palm shortening.
• Turn food processor on, and let run until mixture has just combined and is crumbly.
• Pulse in remaining 5 tbsp of shortening, 1 tbsp at a time.
• Once finished adding shortening, slowly pour in 3 tbsp ice water, and pulse until a ball of dough has just formed.
• Turn food processor off and scoop dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, putting in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
• While the dough is chilling, make the filling and frosting mixture.
• For the frosting, puree together 6 dates, 2 tbsp palm shortening, vanilla, and date water until fully combined and smooth.

• Place frosting in a small bowl and set aside for later use.

• To make the filling, puree remaining 6 dates, 2 tbsp palm shortening, and sea salt until fully combined and smooth. *It is OK if a few drops of water from the soaked dates gets in the mixture

• Set filling aside wile you roll out the dough.
• Once chilled, place dough onto a piece of parchment paper dusted with flour.

• Sprinkle more flour on top of the dough and rolling pin to prevent sticking.
• Roll dough out into a rectangle, about 1/4-1/8 inch thick.

• Dollop filling mixture into the center.

• Using the back of your spatula, spread mixture out in an even layer to all four corners of the dough.

• Sprinkle filling with 1 tsp cinnamon.

• Turn the paper so that a the short end of the dough is facing you, and tightly roll the dough into a long log, lightly pressing down to seal the dough together.

• With a wet dough cutter or knife, slice the log into 6 like-size rolls.

• Place each cinnamon roll into a oiled pie plate.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes until beginning to brown around the edges.

• Top with frosting and enjoy hot out of the oven!

Recipe Notes

It is best to cook off the cinnamon rolls the morning or day of when you are planning on eating them, or else they may seem a bit dry when cold.
To reheat the cinnamon rolls, frost liberally and place in a warmed oven for about 10 minutes.
My mother had hers the day after and said once the roll was fully warmed through, the dryness went away and it was gooey like when first baked off.