Every Saturday I try to make a breakfast that’s a little more special than our usual frozen waffles or pieces of toast. The problem I’ve found, though, is that most recipes require a lot of work or time to rise and nobody is patient enough to wait that long. It finally occurred to me that I could make most things on Friday nights and bake them in the morning. This recipe for Petal Pull Aparts caught my eye earlier this week and I really wanted to try it out.
The original recipe calls for one bag of Rhodes frozen dinner rolls. When I went to the grocery store to grab some I noticed that a bag of rolls cost $5 where a bag of three loaves of Rhodes sweet dough cost only $2.40. Since sweet dough seemed like a better option for a breakfast item anyway, I went with that.
I forgot to take some pictures, but the first step was thawing two loaves of the dough, which took a couple of hours. Then I used a scissors to slice each loaf into approximately one inch slices. I combined three of those slices to make the middle of the flower. I arranged the rest of the slices around the center to make the petals. Then I sprinkled turbino sugar on the entire thing to give the dough a little extra sweetness. I covered it with plastic wrap and let it rise on the counter until it doubled in size. Then I put it in the fridge overnight.
I’m pretty sure the dough at least tripled, but it still turned out fine. This is what it looked like when it came out of the fridge this morning.
Next, I used the handle of a knife to press down the center of each petal, getting them ready to fill with jam.
The next step in the original recipe was to combine 1/3 cup of sugar with the zest of one lemon and sprinkle on the flower. I didn’t have a lemon, nor do I like any type of lemon flavor, so I decided to stick with plain sugar. 1/3 of a cup seemed like WAY too much, though. I probably used less than half of that and it still seemed like overkill on sweet dough that was already sprinkled with turbino sugar.
Next, I filled the petal holes with jam. I used raspberry, though you can use any flavor you like. If I make this again I would probably use a little less filling. I’m not a huge jam/jelly person and ended up dumping most of it out before I ate it. A little flavor is good enough for me.
The final preparation for the petal pull aparts only took a few minutes and then I was ready to pop them in the oven. I baked it at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. I wanted to make sure the dough was really cooked all the way through since the middle portion was so huge.
Meanwhile, I made the glaze. I used approximately 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2-3 teaspoons of milk. Glazes always seem pretty tricky to me so I kept adding spoonfuls of powdered sugar until it reached the consistency I was looking for.
Here is what it looked like straight out of the oven. Golden brown, sugary, and delicious!
The final product after a light glazing. Yum!
It doesn’t look much like a flower petal anymore, but still tasty. It wasn’t one of my favorite breakfasts in the world, but I’ll still make it again at some point.
Shepard liked it. But he likes just about everything I put in front of him he’s so hungry all the time!
Caden took about two bites until he was “full.” He was upset that his piece didn’t have enough sugar on it.
Petal Pull Aparts:
2 loaves of Rhodes sweet dough
turbino sugar (optional)
1/3 cup sugar
jam
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 tsp milk
Shape dough into a flower with center and petals. Sprinkle with turbino sugar. Let rise. Press in middles of petals and sprinkle entire thing with regular sugar. Fill holes with jam. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and dough looks fully cooked. Make glaze with powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Drizzle over flower and eat. Enjoy!
