To me, nothing says Christmas more than the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls. Around the holidays everyone seems to eat more than their fill, but who says it cannot be healthy stuff? This recipe combines a sweet and gooey cinnamon filling with decadent pecans and sweet dates to create one beautiful holiday treat with 1000 times more nutrition than any commercial cinnamon roll! Not to mention the festive wreath presentation.
| My Apple Cinnamon Wreath Calories...........210 Fat....................9.9 g (healthy) Sugar...............10 g Salt...................9.5 mg Fiber.................3.1 g | Cinnabon® Classic Calories..........880 Fat...................36 (mostly saturated) Sugar...............59 g Salt..................830 mg Fiber................1.1 g |
Dates, nature's sweetest gift. Dates are what make this scrumptious treat stand out in both taste and nutrition! These energy dense fruits make for an excellent pre or post-workout snack due to their carbohydrate and potassium content. Dates also provide a generous amount of copper, which aids in the formation of red blood cells and energy production.
Wreaths have been around for centuries, originating all the way back to the persian empire. They were traditionally made of evergreen branches which symbolize strength. Whereas the circular shape represents eternal life, for it has no end. While wreaths have personified many different meanings throughout history, they still find a place in many countries across the globe today.
Wreaths have been around for centuries, originating all the way back to the persian empire. They were traditionally made of evergreen branches which symbolize strength. Whereas the circular shape represents eternal life, for it has no end. While wreaths have personified many different meanings throughout history, they still find a place in many countries across the globe today.
Apple Cinnamon Christmas Wreath
This beautiful and delicious cinnamon braid will fill your house with the sensational aroma of the season.
Vegan, Gluten Free
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups spelt flour or 1 cup GF oat flour and 1 cup GF sorghum flour
1 tbs dry active yeast
3/4 cups organic unsweetened apple sauce
3 tbs coconut oil
For the filling:
1/2 cup chopped tart apple (such as granny smith or jonagold)
1 1/4 cups medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3/4 cup filtered water
3/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 pinch cloves
For the frosting: *
1 cup organic greek yogurt
juice of 2 lemons
1 - 2 tbs maple syrup
Instructions:
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, slowly heat the coconut oil (be careful not to heat it too much or it will kill the yeast) until melted then add in the rest of the wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry and fold until a dough begins to form. Dump the dough out on a floured surface and knead for about 2 - 3 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a clean tea towel, then leave it to rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising prepare the date filling. In a small saucepan add the chopped dates, chopped apple and spices along with about 3/4 cup filtered water. Heat the filling over medium heat until the water is almost gone and the dates form a paste.
Next, punch down the dough and roll it out into a rectangle on a heavily floured surface. You want the rectangle to be about 2 feet long by 10 inches wide with a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Evenly spread on the date mixture with a wooden spoon, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge, and top it off with the chopped pecans.
Begin by rolling up the dough lengthwise into one giant log. Slice the log lengthwise. Grab the two halves and continue to spiral them around each other to create the illusion of an intricate braid. Connect the ends to form a wreath, transfer to a baking sheet (I used a pizza stone) and cover to rise again for about 30 more minutes.
Pre-heat your oven to 370F degrees ( 190C). Bake the wreath for about 30 - 35 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
To prepare the lemon frosting, add the greek yogurt, maple syrup and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Chill until ready to serve.
To serve, add a dollop of lemon yogurt, a sprinkling of chopped pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy! Serves 8 - 12.
*To make a vegan frosting try: adding about 1/2 tsp lemon zest to 1 cup whipped coconut cream or 1/4 cup lemon juice to 1 cup cashew cream .
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups spelt flour or 1 cup GF oat flour and 1 cup GF sorghum flour
1 tbs dry active yeast
3/4 cups organic unsweetened apple sauce
3 tbs coconut oil
For the filling:
1/2 cup chopped tart apple (such as granny smith or jonagold)
1 1/4 cups medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3/4 cup filtered water
3/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 pinch cloves
For the frosting: *
1 cup organic greek yogurt
juice of 2 lemons
1 - 2 tbs maple syrup
Instructions:
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, slowly heat the coconut oil (be careful not to heat it too much or it will kill the yeast) until melted then add in the rest of the wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry and fold until a dough begins to form. Dump the dough out on a floured surface and knead for about 2 - 3 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a clean tea towel, then leave it to rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising prepare the date filling. In a small saucepan add the chopped dates, chopped apple and spices along with about 3/4 cup filtered water. Heat the filling over medium heat until the water is almost gone and the dates form a paste.
Next, punch down the dough and roll it out into a rectangle on a heavily floured surface. You want the rectangle to be about 2 feet long by 10 inches wide with a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Evenly spread on the date mixture with a wooden spoon, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edge, and top it off with the chopped pecans.
Begin by rolling up the dough lengthwise into one giant log. Slice the log lengthwise. Grab the two halves and continue to spiral them around each other to create the illusion of an intricate braid. Connect the ends to form a wreath, transfer to a baking sheet (I used a pizza stone) and cover to rise again for about 30 more minutes.
Pre-heat your oven to 370F degrees ( 190C). Bake the wreath for about 30 - 35 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
To prepare the lemon frosting, add the greek yogurt, maple syrup and lemon juice to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Chill until ready to serve.
To serve, add a dollop of lemon yogurt, a sprinkling of chopped pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy! Serves 8 - 12.
*To make a vegan frosting try: adding about 1/2 tsp lemon zest to 1 cup whipped coconut cream or 1/4 cup lemon juice to 1 cup cashew cream .
Post by: Rebecca
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
