Coconut Rolls
For the dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup plain soy yogurt (I use WildWood brand, because it's unsweetened)
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the filling:
2 tablespoons shortening, melted
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
1 tablespoon plain soy yogurt
For the icing:
2 tablespoons leftover filling (approx.)
2 tablespoons shortening, softened
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
(The basic dough recipe is leaned on the "Really Good Vegan Raisin Scones" on VegWeb.)
You will need a 9x9" baking pan and a large mixing bowl. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
To prepare the dough:[br] In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients for the dough (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, coconut). Cut in the cold shortening until the mixture forms crumbles. In a separate bowl, stir the water and vanilla into the soy yogurt. Add this to the large bowl and combine well. This will seem extremely dry at the beginning, but keep at it. Only add more water if you are absolutely certain you need more. You don't want your dough too sticky, you want it firm and workable. I start this with a spoon, but switch over to hands for the last bit of kneading.
Prepare the filling:[br] Melt the shortening. Stir in the other ingredients in order until you get a sticky mass.
To form the rolls:[br] Get yourself a dry, flat surface. Separate the dough into 9 parts. Take one part and pat it into a strip 2 inches wide by about 8 inches long. It will stick a little but if you work fast it won't be too bad. Spread the strip with a thin layer of your filling and roll up from one side. Place in baking pan. Repeat for the remaining 8 rolls.
Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees, checking often, because everyone's oven is different and you don't want it to burn. Test with a toothpick for doneness. If it comes out relatively clean, your rolls are done.
To prepare the icing:[br] Whip the shortening into the remaining filling, adding powdered sugar as you go. Add the lemon juice and a bit of water if it's too thick for your liking. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract and whip until fluffy.
Take the rolls out of the oven and top them with the icing while still warm.
They are best when warm so either eat right away or heat up in the microwave before enjoying :)
Even my mom liked these, and she tends to be weary of vegan food!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
Could I sub vegan margerine for the shortening in this recipe? I've never seen vegan shortening in the UK!
these turned out perfectly. i'll definitely be making them again.
The lovely photos of these rolls drew me in and I had to make them! I'm very pleased with the results. The dough was very easy to work with; I didn't find it too sticky or too dry at all. The filling was not nearly enough, so I ended up tripling the filling recipe and adding lots more cinnamon to it. I also didn't make the rolls individually; I just rolled all of the dough out into a big rectangle, spread the filling on, rolled it up, and sliced into rolls (I got 10 rolls out of it). I had to bake for 45 minutes but probably could have pulled them out after 40 - they were a little dark on the bottom after 45. The icing recipe scared me at first because the shortening made it quite greasy, but I added some more sugar and a bit of soymilk and it turned out very nicely. The bread part has a great texture and the filling is just the right amount of sweet with that fabulous bit of coconut taste. They got rave reviews from the family! Definitely a once-in-a-while treat due to all the sugar and shortening, but they make for an excellent decadent brunch food!