A soft, tender enriched brioche dough is wrapped around a sticky, nutty, warmly spiced filling in these Cinnamon, Date and Walnut Brioche Scrolls. Jump to Recipe
Hitting week four of the university semester seems to always be hectic: mid semester exam is close (and we are learning head and neck, which is insanely complex – like, I always assumed the skull was made of 4 or 5 bones, but no, there is twenty two!), assignments start piling up, weekends are taken up by various birthday celebrations and events, and all I end up wanting to do is get in the kitchen and do some baking. Which isn’t possible at Mannix, obviously.
I am also just getting over being a walking viral ball of infection (not the best timing), and I have realised that it is nowhere near as fun being sick anymore as it was when I was at school and all you did was stay home for the day and indulge in general laziness. Now not only do I feel awful, but nobody is going to look after you anymore and skipping uni just results in getting insanely behind. One of the sad truths of growing up, I think.
If I could make something now though, it would be these cinnamon, date and walnut brioche. A soft, tender enriched brioche dough is wrapped around a sticky, nutty filling, warmly spiced with cinnamon and topped with a snow-like dusting of icing sugar. Individual servings mean you get a whole brioche to yourself to pull apart and devour, piece by piece, working in from the crusty outer edges to the pillowy soft centre coated in sweet walnut-date paste.
They have been our family’s routine Christmas breakfast for years, pulled hot from the oven just as presents are opened in the morning. But don’t think I must be waking in the early hours to prep them – Christmas is for sleep-ins, after all (unless you are under eight, in which case you wake up a 4am to try and figure out what Santa brought) – the brioche dough takes about fifteen minutes to prep the night before, then just needs to be left in the fridge overnight to prove. The next morning, dump it on the bench and roll it out into some semblance of a rectangle, smear with the date-walnut-cinnamon filling, form into scrolls, prove on top of the oven for another 20 minutes and then bake. In the next ten minutes the house fills with the smell of warm bread and cinnamon, family and friends gravitate towards the source, and before you know it sounds of appreciation and sticky fingers fill the kitchen as they are devoured.
The filling is my absolute favourite: walnuts, sticky sweet dates and cinnamon sugar combine in a buttery paste that you whiz up in a food processor. If you are prone to eating things (i.e. cookie dough) before they end up in the oven, I would recommend making extra or you might not have much left for the brioche – it is THAT good.
This Christmas talk is not to say they can’t be made year round – remember, in New Zealand Christmas falls in summer (so all you people in the Northern hemisphere have no excuse not to make them now!), but when I made these a few weeks ago it was cold and overcast, in the middle of an Auckland winter, and eating a warm brioche scroll with a cup of good coffee was like a little pocket of perfection.
2020 Update: I now prefer to make these scrolls together in a baking tray or pan as above rather than in individual muffin tins, as the resultant brioche are softer and have less tendency to dry out.
- I usually make a 3/4 batch of the dough below (but still use the same quantity of cinnamon filling), and then space out the cut up brioche in a 20x30cm baking tray or similar. Make sure to leave at least 1.5cm gap between each scroll to allow them to rise in the oven.
- I also add a light cream cheese frosting (instructions below) which takes them to the next level.
Prep time is 45 minutes + an overnight prove in the fridge .
The amount of scrolls made below is a LOT: I often make a 3/4 mix of the dough (with the same amount of filling), and then bake the dough in a 20x30cm tray rather than individual muffin tins as described above.
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 500 ml (2 cups) milk
- 1 tablespoon active dried yeast
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 900 g high grade flour
- 1 1/4 cups walnut pieces
- 1 cup dates , chopped
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 90 g unsalted butter , diced
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 55 g full fat cream cheese
- 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
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Melt the butter in a medium pot. Add the milk and heat until warm (but not hot as it will kill the yeast)
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Sprinkle over the dried yeast, cover and set aside in a warm place for a few minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
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Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved and the eggs are getting frothy.
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Pour the yeast mixture into the eggs and stir to combine.
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Add the flour to this mixture and stir to combine. This step you can either to by hand or with the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer. If by hand, vigorously stir the mixture with a metal spoon for about 10 minutes until it become glossy. If using a stand mixer, mix on a low speed for about 8 minutes until it becomes very glossy.
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The dough will be very wet at this stage, but don’t worry - you shouldn’t be able to knead it by hand. You may add a tablespoon or two extra flour near the end of mixing, but resist the urge to add much more flour! By the end of mixing, it should just start to occasionally pull away from the sides of the bowl, but will still be very sticky and will not hold together in a ball.
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Loosely cover the bowl with glad wrap and leave in the fridge overnight to prove and double in size.
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The next morning, preheat the oven to 180°C and grease 12 texas muffin tins.
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In a food processor, blitz the walnuts, dates, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until the ingredients are all finely chopped and fully combined - it should have a sticky, coarse breadcrumb-like consistency.
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Empty the dough onto a floured bench and gently roll and press it out into a large rectangle just under 1cm thick so the longer side is facing you (about 60cm long).
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Spread the walnut-date mixture over the dough, spreading right to the edges.
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Roll up the dough into a log, starting from the longest side closest to you. Slice it into even pieces with a serrated knife - about 5cm wide or enough to end up with 12 scrolls. Place each scroll in a muffin tin. Often my log is thicker in the centre (oops!) so I put the biggest scrolls in one tin and the smaller ones in the other tin, so when they are cooking I can take the small ones out first if they need a little less time.
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Leave the tins in a warm place (like on top of the preheated oven) for 20 minutes to prove the dough. Check by poking the dough gently with your finger tip it should be puffy and spring back slowly.
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Meanwhile, make the egg wash by beating together 1 egg and a tablespoon of milk. Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of each scroll with the egg wash.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180°C or until golden brown.
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Take the brioche out of the tins while still warm to prevent the sugary mixture from sticking them to the bottom of the tins.
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Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately!
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Mix all ingredients together with 1-2 tablespoons of hot water as required to make a smooth, runny glaze. Dollop this over the scrolls and spread across with an offset spatula or similar.
Your making me wish it was Christmas and or winter because these rolls look amazing, not to mention gorgeous. I’ll just have to wait until it drops below 80 degree’s to turn on my oven.
Thanks Nicole! Fair enough, that is pretty hot – when fall comes though they will be perfect 🙂 x
These look amazing! I think it would be extremely cruel to just have these at Christmas 😉 but what a lovely tradition. Hope you feel better soon 🙂
Aw thanks Michelle! Haha I definitely don’t stick to the just at Christmas rule, they are too good! 🙂
I love the idea of having these on Christmas morning! How beautiful and decadent. Yum!
Thanks Amanda! They are a perfect Christmas morning treat – everyone loves them 🙂
Gorgeous photos! This brioche looks so soft and tender! We love the date-walnut combo!
Thank you! <3
Oh so delicious! I never liked cinnamon scrolls and then one day, BAM, love em. These look lovely and fluffy. x
Thanks Bec! Cinnamon scrolls are my fav – I can never stop at one! x
OMG gorgeous, fluffy sweet brioches, so French of you 🙂 I love the date and walnut combo! Must make!
Thanks Katalina! A dream of mine is to live in France for a few months one day, maybe do a patisserie course or something – the pastries and cakes there are stunning. x
Oooh! Look at that brioche! You know, I have to say, that’s one of the few types of (doable) breads I haven’t tried. Pinning!
Thanks Nagi! Definitely try it, I love brioche – I find it pretty difficult to stop at one of these scrolls.
Ummm first, let’s talk about your beautiful photos. I am jealous😀 second, I’m totally making these asap. They look and sound absolutely incredible. I adore brioche! The filling sounds so yummy😀😀 can’t wait to try!
Aw thank you so much Amanda! I am a big brioche fan too. Would love to know what you think if you give them a go, it seriously is my favourite filling ever! X
These look divine Claudia! Sorry to hear that you haven’t been feeling well. And yes it used to be a lot more fun when staying home at school than as an adult!
Thanks Lorraine, so nice to hear that from you!
These look very appetizing. I love the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls,smells like Christmas. I am living in the Northern Hemisphere and here is summer but you’re right I have no excuse not to make them,look so yummy!!
Freshly baked cinnamon rolls are just the best, you are totally right – makes the kitchen smell amazing! Thanks Violeta 🙂
Oh my goodness, this is the best brioche I have ever seen! The cinnamon, date and walnut combination sounds so decadent and delicious, I love it! I definitely need to try this recipe! Thank you for sharing 😀
Aw thanks so much Harriet, so nice to hear from you! Would love to know what you think if you give it a go 🙂
Gorgeous photos! I’ve never seen brioche in this format, but why not? It’s all about the dough!!! Saving for this coming Christmas…
They are the perfect Christmas morning brunch! And yes, dough is key – this one is lovely and fluffy 🙂
Yum! These brioche look divine! Love the flavour from the cinnamon! So perfect!
Thanks Jess! X
Your photos are beautiful Claudia! Makes these cinnamon rolls look so so tempting…
Thanks Sarah, let me know if you give them a go! 🙂
I’m sorry you weren’t feeling well! I remember the first time I got sick while away at school and it was no fun at all. This brioche looks amazing! Such beautiful photos and I loveee the cinnamon-date-walnut combo. Very impressive! 🙂
Aw thank you Sarah – still working on my photography but I think it has improved since I first started using my camera!
Hope you have a lovely day and thanks for stopping by x
I’ll be the first to admit I still wake up to 4am (if not earlier) christmas morning! There is just something about Christmas day… pretty sure it is the food, normally ham and cheese croissants are on my menu. but this year I think it might be time to steal your tradition!
I hope by now you are feeling better and have more baked goods on the way for me to stalk! 🙂
Haha fair enough, I still find it pretty hard to get to sleep the night before since I’m usually way too excited! I am feeling way better, thank you – and there will be more baking on the way this week! Currently trying to decide between a rhubarb raspberry almond tart or my favourite chocolate-dipped cookie-coconut ice cream sandwiches… Any thoughts? 🙂
Wow, Claudia!! These brioche rolls are absolutely stunning! All I can think about is eating one of these now, and it’s 11pm at night so…..I guess I will just have to dream about them (and possibly drool…okay definitely drooling on my pillow!). I love the combination of ingredients here. The cinnamon sugar makes these glorified cinnamon rolls that would win any cinnamon roll competition in a heartbeat. The date and walnut addition is just perfect – truly. I would love to delve into these on Christmas morning. I always forget that people in Australia and New Zealand celebrate Christmas during summertime. I must ask….do you guys celebrate with your toes in the sand and a big BBQ dinner instead? :p I live in Southern California so it doesn’t snow here either and the weather is usually moderate so we don’t get a “white Christmas” per se, but the idea of snow and warm meals/drinks during Christmas time is so engrained in my mind that I can’t imagine Christmas in the summer. In any case, no one is going to care what season or temperature it is when they’re at your house on xmas because this brioche is out of this world. I hope you’re feeling better too! I agree that being sick during grade school is way more fun than when you’re an adult in college! ;/
Sorry Beeta, just realised I hadn’t gotten around to replying to you here! And yes, beach trips and barbecues are massive features of southern hemisphere Christmases – we always have lots of gorgeous salads, outdoor meals and swims in the pool! Also totally agree – the good thing about this brioche is you can make it whatever the weather! I did have a white christmas last year as we were staying with my Aunt in Colorado which was amazing, but I am so used to being in summer that I miss it!
Thanks so much for your lovely comments <3 <3
Yum, these look amazing! And your photos are gorgeous and totally making me wish it was Christmas (or cold) so I could make these without melting. Hope you are feeling better!
Thanks Maya, yes feeling way better now! Won’t be long now until it is cool enough to make them, let me know how it goes if you do give it a try! X
These are gorgeous girl!!!!
Seriously… I wanna wake up to these christmas morning!
Could there be a better combo to put inside delicious brioche?! I don’t think so!
Awesome post Claudia 🙂
xx
Aw thank you so much Bec! I just love how you can prep them the night before, so all you need to do in the morning is roll them up and pop them straight in the oven – the smell through the house is always amazing!! <3
Oh my god, get in my mouth! You’re such a clever thing, I’ve only just discovered your blog and already I’m in love with every recipe!
Thank you Cecily! So nice to hear from you, thanks for stopping by <3
these are so gorgeous! they look perfectly fluffy and decadent! want!! 🙂
<3 <3
Claudia, these look AMAZING. Gorgeous photos! I’m adding these to my long list of things to bake this fall! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Ally! Haha I’m the same, my list of things to make just keeps getting longer and longer, it is such a struggle!! 🙂
These look divine–but do you have any tips for adapting to a regular sized muffin tin? I don’t have the jumbo sized one but am pondering making these for my birthday brunch. Would I just pat out two squares of dough and still keep them about 1cm thick? Shorten the baking time a bit? Thanks in advance for any advice!
Thanks Teresa! They would be perfect for a birthday brunch! I think you could make about 18-24 in regular sized muffin tins – I would probably roll the dough out into a rectangle the same way, but make the long edge longer and the short edge shorter (if that makes sense!) and make the dough slightly thinner. I would then cut the scrolls with a smaller width (say around 3cm rather than 5), so that overall you end up with more scrolls that have a smaller diameter and height, to fit into the smaller tins.
Another option could be to make the scrolls in a similar way, but bake them in rows in a rectangular or circular baking tins with 2-3 cm space between them to allow them to rise.
And then either way keep an eye on them when they are in the oven because it will probably shorten the baking time!
If that doesn’t make sense or you have any more questions, please let me know!
Hope you have a lovely birthday and would love to know how they turn out if you give them a go 🙂
Aha! Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply. I am excited to try these. I will follow up in a few weeks if I can get this brunch planned and let you know how they turn out!
Just wanted to say thank you again for the recipe and your helpful comments! These were a great success! I made them with my regular muffin pan and got around 30 probably. I see what you mean about it being difficult to slice them in even sizes! Also, the dough was super sticky so I am glad you forewarned us about that or I would have been sure I had done something wrong. Still–these were not too difficult to whip up and OMG the filling is so delicious! They looked so pretty sprinkled with sugar and my guests were very impressed 🙂
Aw thank you so much Teresa! So lovely to hear that they went well and everybody enjoyed them – absolutely made my day to get this comment! And yes the dough is so sticky right?! But it ends up so fluffy and light that you really just have to hold back on adding more flour. Thanks so much again for letting me know how it went and using the recipe!! <3
These look wonderful! Any suggestions for how to alter the recipe if I only have instant/rapid rise yeast? Thanks so much!
Hi Anita! If you are using instant yeast, the main difference is that you need slightly less (as it is more active), and you can stir the yeast straight into the dry ingredients rather than dissolving it into the milk/butter mixture. So in this recipe, I would use 2 1/2 teaspoons of instant yeast (rather than 1 tablespoon of active dried), and then stir the yeast in at the same time as the flour. Thanks! 🙂
Hey these look so good. I plan to make them for a birthday lunch. Is it possible to halve the recipe? Or would this muck up the yeast rising part? Can they also be put in regular muffin tins? Would half the recipe fit into 12 regular size? Thanks heaps! 🙂
Hi Steph! Yes you can definitely halve the recipe and put them in a regular muffin tins 🙂
A friend of mine actually did that the other day for a brunch and they worked perfectly. When you roll out the dough, try to make it more rectangular, so the actual width of the scroll is smaller to fit into the smaller tins.
As for the cup measurement of flour, the reason I use grams is because it is more accurate (because 1 cup of flour can be such different amounts depending on how tightly you pack it!!) but if you don’t have scales, 450g of flour is 3 and 1/3 cups 🙂
Hope that helps, would love to know how they turn out for you!
Just one more question. Do you have a cup measurement for the 900grams of flour? Thanks 🙂
can I put them in 9X13 inch pans instead?
Yes I think that would work! As long as they have a bit of space around each brioche to rise 🙂
Do you suppose the proofing could be done in reverse? The dough proofing on the counter for 20 minutes the first time (instead of the fridge) and then doing the second proof in the fridge over night so that the only thing left to do in the morning is to throw them in to oven. You know….because no sleep + mistakes on a hectic morning=Everyone hungry and mommy in tears
Hi Kristn! So so sorry for missing this comment – it got stuck in my spam bin for some reason and I completely missed it! Hope it turned out well for you. But to answer very belatedly, I’m not sure it would work for this particular dough, as it is very wet and becomes much firmer and possible to roll out with the overnight prove. After 20 minutes on the counter I’m not sure you could physically roll it!
To make it as easy as possible, you could make the filling the night before as well and leave it in a bowl in the fridge – so it’s just the roll out + bake in the morning. x
Is there anyway I can substitute the high-grade flour for all-purpose flour?
Hi!
Can’t wait to make these beauties! We usually make doughnuts for Christmas morning , but not this year! Would I be able to make them the night before ( proof, fill and roll)? I’d love to make for family and give unbaked so they can enjoy with their loved ones on Christmas morning.
Hi Juliet! This dough is really wet when you first make it and needs at least 8 hours rising in the fridge before you roll it out. You could make the dough on the morning of Christmas eve, then that night fill and roll them, then keep them in the fridge again overnight (in the baking tin, under a sheet of plastic wrap) to bake on Christmas morning. On Christmas morning, bring them out of the fridge to proof for a further 30 minutes at room temperature before baking. Hope that helps!
Theses cinnamon rolls look amazing can’t wait to try them but i think u forgot to mention the oven temperature and should i place them on the middle rack of the oven or lower rack …thanks
Thank you! Have just edited the recipe for that – bake at 180°C, middle of the oven is fine. Hope you enjoy them!
I’ve searched the recipe to find what the extra teaspoon of cinnamon is for ?
Apart from that, beautiful pastry to handle, so soft and light….and delicious result…thanks for the recipe.