Tried & True Tuesday: Blueberries & Cream Sweet Rolls

. The day has finally come!!

Notice any changes around here?!  It's been a long time coming, but my new blog design is finally making an appearance!  For the last month or so, I've been working with Leah from Cutesie Blog Designs to create a new look for Life's Simple Measures.  And after my 5...hundred different requests, questions, and comments, we finally settled on this!  I wanted something fairly simple and I've even been trying to go through the different things on my sidebars, taking things out I probably don't really need.  Overall, the whole design process was really great!  Leah was more than accommodating and worked with me to get almost everything I wanted (Blogger has some lame-o restrictions that prevented a few of my visions from coming to life, but nothing you can do about that I guess!).  Anywho, Leah was such a pleasure to work with and she must really have some patience since she had to work with me for such a long period of time.  It was also very affordable, which is always a plus in my book!  But I hope you all like the new change!  Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions if you see something you like/don't like or wish I had!

So now on to my first Tried & True post in a very long time.  I don't know what happened, but those Tuesdays just kept flying by!  But I'm so incredibly excited for this post, I've kept this recipe in my back pocket waiting for my blog design to be ready.

So, this recipe holds a dear place in my heart because it's an actual Wakasugi family recipe.  The very original recipe is actually for Sweet Roll Dough that is tied into little knots and eaten as little snacks.  Apparently these were at all of our family reunions and of course, the biggest hit (though I thoroughly must have passed right by these when I was younger because I didn't ever remember eating them!).  But I've taken the recipe, added an ingredient or two, and made them into the form of cinnamon rolls.  And with this particular one, I added blueberries, making them into Blueberries & Cream Sweet Rolls.  Along with the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies from this last weekend, we also had these to scarf munch on.

Truthfully, this recipe is my pride and joy.  A recipe that I will continue to make for the rest of my life not only because they are a family tradition [and somebody's gotta do it!], but because they are beyond ridiculously good.  Let me repeat.  Beyond Ridiculously Good.

Ugh, they really are.  The fluffy bread has an ever-so-slight sweetness, the blueberries add a wonderful tartness, and the cream cheese filling AND frosting don't need much of a description.  It simply takes these over the top.

Need I say more?  I think not.  You can thank me later .

Blueberries & Cream Sweet Rolls

Ingredients:

Dough:

1/2 c. warm water

2 packages active dry yeast

1-1/2 c. milk, lukewarm

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1/2 c. butter, softened

7 c. flour

Cream Cheese Filling:

4 oz. cream cheese

1/4 c. sugar

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Scant 1 c. blueberries

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese

3 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. milk

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1.  Pour water into large bowl.  Add yeast, milk and sugar, stirring to dissolve.

2.  Stir in salt, eggs and butter.

3.  Stir in, with wooden spoon, 6 cups of flour (add more if needed).  

4.  Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface.  Knead dough until smooth and elastic.

Note the one-handed knead technique.  Yep, definitely didn't have anyone around to take a picture for me!

5.  Round up dough in greased bowl; cover with damp cloth.  Let rise until doubled (about 1-1/2 hours).

6.  Punch down dough; let rise again until doubled (about 30 minutes).

7.  Meanwhile, for filling, mix together cream cheese, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.

8.  Heat oven to 325°F.  Roll out dough into 15x12-inch rectangle.

9.  Spread cream cheese filling onto dough.  Sprinkle blueberries evenly over dough.

10.  Roll into log, starting lengthwise. 

11.  Cut log into 12 rolls and place in greased 15x11-inch pan.  Let rise slightly (about 20 minutes).

12.  For frosting, mix together cream cheese, butter, milk, and powdered sugar until smooth.  Set aside.

13.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned.

14.  While still warm, spread cream cheese frosting over rolls.

Yield: 1 dozen rolls