Will-ube-mine swirl rolls
Let’s start by talking about what ube (pronounced: oo-beh) is! Ube is a very popular ingredient from the Philippines made from purple yam. While it’s been around in the Philippines for forever and can be found on basically any Filipino menu, ube has really only started to grow in popularity in the US. Its rich, vibrant purple color makes it oh-so Instagrammable, likely adding to the curiosity and increased presence in America. You can even find ube pancake mix at Trader Joe’s now!
Ube’s most common form is an ube jam or paste called ube halaya, which is made by boiling then mashing purple yam, then combining it with other ingredients including coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk (all of the milks), and sugar to bring out a subtly sweet taste that adds a delicious flavor to many Filipino treats such as flan, cakes, and ice cream. Ube halaya is also a popular topping for one of the most quintessential (and one of my favorite) Filipino desserts: halo-halo. While ube halaya translates to ube jam, it’s much thicker than American jams and almost solid — not like a jam you’d spread over toast or pastry. In fact, I usually just like to sneak cheeky spoonfuls of it, especially when it’s homemade!
Speaking of homemade, a tita of mine recently dropped off a couple jars of her homemade ube halaya. Boy was I excited! Since quarantine started, I haven’t been able to get my hands on some since the Filipino stores were closed or not operating at full capacity. So after polishing off half a jar on its own (don’t judge me), I couldn’t wait to try out some ube-flavored treats.
Knowing my beloved ube jam was in short supply, I didn’t want to waste it experimenting. So I figured a safe (and easy) bet would be ube swirl rolls! I only used about a quarter of my second jar for both the swirl rolls and the ube cream cheese icing — and I did NOT go small on the icing. These rolls came out perfectly soft and chewy with just the right amount of sweetness. It’s hard to go wrong with cream cheese icing, but the ube flavor added another level of goodness that I couldn’t help myself when topping over the rolls. As you can see from the pictures below, I did more than top them with icing… more like smothered them in icing!
Pre-smother when you can actually see my purple ube swirls
UBE SWIRL ROLLS WITH UBE CREAM CHEESE ICING
Roll Ingredients:
1 packet of active dry yeast
1/2 C warm water (100F-110F)
1/4 C unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 C (100g) granulated sugar
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 - 5 C (576-640g) all-purpose flour
Ube Filling Ingredients:
4 oz (112g) ube halaya
1 tbs unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 tbs (13g) granulated sugar
Ube Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:
2 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 C unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 C (128g) powdered sugar
2 oz (56g) ube halaya
2-6 tbs whole milk, depending on how thick or runny you like your icing
Instructions:
In a small bowl, dissolve the active yeast in warm water. Set aside 5-10 minutes or until it foams at the top.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low setting, beat the egg, sugar, butter, and salt until well-combined.
Add the yeast mixture, buttermilk, and 2 C (256g) of flour until well-blended.Switch out the paddle attachment for the dough hook and continue adding the remaining flour (2 1/2 C or 320g) until a soft dough forms.
Place the soft dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 5-7 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
When ready, place the dough into a greased bowl. Roll the dough around in the bowl to coat it with the grease. Cover loosely with a clean towel and set in a warm, draft free spot for 1 hour until the dough doubles in size. Or place in the refrigerator overnight if you’re planning to bake in the morning!
While the dough is rising, make the filling. Add the filling ingredients to a small sauce pan if heating over a stove or a microwavable bowl if heating in microwave. Heat ingredients together until you’re able to stir and combine easily.
Once the dough rises, punch it down in the bowl. Then roll the dough out onto a lightly flowered surface and roll it out using a rolling pin. You should be able to make a 13x18” rectangle, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect. You can always just trim the edges to make a rectangle that you can work with.
Using a spoon, spread the filling as evenly as you can across the dough. With the long side of the rectangle towards you, start rolling the dough up and over tightly. Once you’ve got it all rolled up, pinch the dough across to seal it. Cut into 1 1/15 inch sections. Place the pieces swirl side up into a greased pan. I used a round pan as you can see in the pictures, but any shape pan works as long as they all fit with at least 1 inch between each piece.
Loosely cover the pan with a kitchen towel and allow to rise until the dough doubles in size again or the edges are touching each other and the sides of the pan. This should take approximately 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
While the swirl rolls are baking, make your icing. Using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the icing ingredients until smooth. I recommend starting with just 2 tablespoons of milk and adding 1 tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency you prefer.
Take the rolls out of the oven, and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Either drizzle (or smother) the icing over your rolls while it’s still in the pan or carefully remove then top with icing.
Enjoy while they’re still warm!