Citrus Sesame Cinnamon Rolls

The celebration for Chinese New Year starts this Thursday, February 19^th and continues for fifteen days. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2015 is the Year of the Sheep. It’s a year of kindness, serenity, sensitivity, gentleness, and stability. I love this year already.

I’ve never celebrated Chinese New Year before, but when I received a supply of mandarinquats from my friends at Frieda’s Produce and learned more about the qualities associated with the Year of the Sheep, I decided I wanted to celebrate. 

When I think of calmness, I think of being in my kitchen with the people I love most. I think of the first time I ever made cinnamon rolls – I was 13 and my grandma was visiting from out of town. She bakes and cooks the way most grandmas do – not by following a recipe, but by trusting her gut – she knows when there’s enough butter and if the recipe needs more milk. She’s got great instinct.

These cinnamon rolls are different from Grandma’s original recipe. This recipe calls for sesame oil, a common ingredient used in Asian cuisine, as well as mandarinquats -- a hybrid of mandarins and kumquats, which can be eaten whole, rind and all! 

I hope this recipe brings you calmness in the kitchen. But, more importantly, I hope you feel calmness, kindness, and serenity both in and out of the kitchen all year long.

Mandarinquat Sesame Cinnamon Rolls

With its hint of sesame oil, dense consistency, and marmalade-like flavor, these are a unique, yet special take on your typical cinnamon roll recipe.

Ingredients:

dough:

1 (1/4oz) envelope of active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)

5 mandarinquats

1/3 cup cane sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups bread flour

filling:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons sesame oil

glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon mandarinquat juice

Directions:

1. Blend whole mandarinquats in food processor until pureed.

2. Warm 1/2 cup of puree in small bowl to about 110 degrees. Stir in packet of yeast and allow to stand for at least 10 minutes.

3. Beat together softened butter and sugar in a large bowl or stand mixture.

4. Add eggs, salt, and the mandarinquat-yeast mixture.

5. Add flour, one cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

6. Place dough in large lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to proof in a warm area for 2 hours.

7. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 9"x18".

8. In a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and sesame oil.

9. Spread filling over the dough, and gently roll up starting on one long side.

10. Cut into 12 slices and place into a lightly greased 9" round baking pan, cover, and allow to proof in a warm area for 1 hour. *

11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover rolls and bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown.

12. Combine powdered sugar and mandarinquat juice in a small bowl. Pour over rolls after removing from the oven.

*Dough rolls can be prepared ahead of time, covered, and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Disclaimer: I was given a free sample of mandarinquats from Frieda's Produce. I was not additionally compensated for my time. 

Cinnamon’s Potential for Diabetes Control

Cinnamon may have more to offer than its trademark sweet aroma and flavor. Scientists know that cinnamon provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. And now some studies suggest it may have blood-glucose lowering effects for people with diabetes. However, the evidence that cinnamon is a foolproof diabetes treatment is still lacking.

 

Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

The science on cinnamon and blood glucose. Cinnamon received a lot of media attention following a 2003 study published by the American Diabetes Association. The study found a significant reduction—between 18 percent and 29 percent—of mean fasting blood glucose in subjects with type 2 diabetes who supplemented with 1, 3, or 6 grams (g) of cinnamon every day day over a 40- day period. Later, a literature review published in 2007 by Pharmacotherapy examined a total of 164 patients with type 2 diabetes involved in clinical trials, and concluded that cinnamon has a possible modest effect in lowering glucose levels in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. A more recently published randomized controlled trial in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine investigated the effects of cinnamon on 109 type 2 diabetes patients with elevated hemoglobin A1C (HgA1C, a measurement of blood glucose control over time.) Researchers found that 1 g of cinnamon per day over a 90-day period, combined with usual care of medicine and follow-up with a doctor, lowered HgA1C by 0.83 percent, compared to usual care alone, which lowered HgA1C by 0.37 percent. However, a meta-analysis published in the September/October 2013 issue of Annals of Family Medicine found that while cinnamon significantly lowered plasma blood glucose among people with type 2 diabetes, it had no effect on HgA1C.

Cinnamon’s bottom line. Research on cinnamon’s potential blood-glucose controlling effects appears to show conflicting results, though optimistic overall. There is not enough evidence to rely on cinnamon supplementation in place of the proven standards of care, which includes physical activity and dietary modifications, such as eating smaller portions and more frequent meals, as well as diabetes treatment medications. But, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to incorporate cinnamon into your daily repertoire of healthy habits, especially if you have type 2 diabetes. The lowest amount of cinnamon found to be effective in studies is 1 gram (g), which is equivalent to about 1⁄5 teaspoon (3 g is about ½ teaspoon, 6 g is about 1 teaspoon).

Spice It Up with Cinnamon
Incorporate cinnamon into your daily diet with the following ideas.
Breakfast	Sprinkle cinnamon into your morning hot cereal, whole grain pancakes, waffles, toast, or brewed coffee
Lunch	Combine cinnamon with low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt and fruit, add to smoothies, or mix into muffins and breads
Dinner	Incorporate cinnamon into savory dishes and stews
Dessert	Add to fruit desserts, such as cobblers, pies, poached pears, and baked apples

This article was written by McKenzie for the February 2014 issue of Environmental Nutrition.