Maple Swirls
Based on Cinnamon Swirls from the Mostly Muffins book by Jean Pare, these swirls use a biscuit-style dough, so they come together much more quickly than a yeast-based cinnamon roll. I switched out the cinnamon for maple to introduce a different flavour, although the cinnamon version is very good too. I also used the icing from my maple scones to amp up the maple flavour.
Maple Swirls
A sweet treat that freezes well. Put a frozen maple swirl in your lunch bag and it will be thawed in time for your coffee break or lunch.
Servings: 12 swirls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 tbsp maple flakes, ground or maple sugar See Notes, below.
Icing
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/2 cup icing sugar, or more if needed
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp maple extract, or vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Combine the flour, 2 tbsp of sugar, baking power, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Cut the butter into the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.
- Add yogurt to the flour mixture and stir until it starts to come together as a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until the dough comes together.
- Add a little more flour to the counter/table. Roll dough into a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch rectangle). See Notes, below.
- Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a margin of a couple of centimetres (a little less than a inch) along one of the long sides. Sprinkle maple flakes on top of the butter.
- Starting with the long side nearest to you, roll the dough up like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam along the bottom, then rock it gently back and forth to seal the dough. Cut into 2 1/2 cm (1-inch) slices, then lay on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.
- Let cool completely before icing. To prepare the icing, mix all icing ingredients together, then spread on the cooled swirls. (See Notes, below.) Sprinkle a few more maple flakes on top, if desired.
Notes
- Maple flakes are fairly coarse. For this recipe, it is best to grind them in a mortar and pestle until they resemble granulated sugar.
- The original recipe suggests rolling the dough out on waxed paper on a dampened work surface. I've always found that messy and cumbersome, so I add a little more flour and roll the dough that way. This dough can be sticky, so you made need a bench scraper to help roll it, depending on how much flour you add. But don't overdo it on the flour or the rolls will be too tough. It's a real balancing act.
- The thickness of the icing is a personal preference. If you find this icing is too thin, add a little more icing sugar, a half-teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired thickness.
Image of maple leaf: 109521939 © Idimair | Dreamstime.com