Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Mascarpone Icing

Prep Time: 20 mins + rising time | Cook Time: 20 mins | Course: Breakfast | Serves: 12

Sunny lemon and raspberry brioche rolls with whipped mascarpone cream icing is a lovely way to start the day. Always inspired by the lovely Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/raspberry-lemon-brioche-rolls/ 

3 ½-4 cups flour

¼ tsp cardamom

¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp yeast

¾ cup warm milk

2 Tbsp honey

3 eggs, room temp

½ cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp lemon zest

Filling:

¾ cup sugar

2 Tbsp lemon zest

6 Tbsp butter, softened

4 cups fresh raspberries or frozen and thawed.

Mascarpone Icing:

8 oz mascarpone cheese

¾ cup powdered sugar

½ cup heavy cream

4 Tbsp raspberry juices if using frozen raspberries, optional

In a stand mixer, whisk to combine 3 ½ cups of flour, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and yeast. Add the milk, honey, eggs, butter, and lemon zest. Mix on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until the dough has come together and pulls away from the bowl. This is a sticky dough, so if you need to add a bit more flour, add just 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Scrape the dough down the sides of the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size, in a warm draft-free spot. 

Preheat the oven to 375* if baking right away. Butter a 9.13 baking pan, or line with parchment paper. Mix sugar and lemon zest together for the filling. Roll out the dough on a lightly flour-dusted rolling surface into a rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough and sprinkle with the lemon sugar. Top with about 2 ½ cups of raspberries. Roll the dough up tightly lengthwise. Slice into 12 rolls and lay in a 9.13 baking pan. Allow to rise for an additional 30-45 minutes on the counter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. I like to test with an inst-thermometer. Breads are generally done between 190-200*. I sometimes cover the rolls with tin foil during the last 10 minutes of baking if the outer edges are getting overly brown.  

If you wish to bake in the morning, cover the rolls and place in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350*. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool before icing.

Whip the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and cream together to form soft peaks. If you used frozen raspberries, use about 4 tablespoons of the leftover juices to make the icing pink. Spread over cooled rolls and toss with the additional ½ cup raspberries.