Cinnamon roll Christmas tree

Serves:

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60ml) warm water
• 2 tsp (7g sachet) yeast
• 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
• 2tbsp (30g) butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60g) caster sugar
• 2 cups (300g) plain flour
• 1 lemon, zest
• 1 egg

For cinnamon filling:

• 2 tbsp (30g) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

For glaze:

• 1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar
• 2 tsp milk

Method

Step 1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Combine water and yeast in a small bowl with a pinch of caster sugar. Leave for 3-4 minutes until frothy. In a small saucepan, heat milk until almost boiling. Add butter, salt and sugar and stir to combine. Set aside to cool. Stir through yeast mixture. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine flour and lemon zest. Add wet mixture and egg. Mix for 8 minutes or until soft and elastic. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside somewhere warm for 1 1/2 hours until dough has doubled in size.

Step 2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a large rectangle, approximately 5mm thick. Smear entire surface with butter. Combine sugar with cinnamon, and sprinkle this over the dough.

Step 3. Starting at one end, roll the dough into a log and slice into 18 even pieces.

Step 4. On a large oven tray lined with baking paper, arrange cinnamon rolls in a Christmas tree shape. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown. For glaze, combine icing sugar and milk in a  small bowl. Drizzle diagonally across the cooled cinnamon roll Christmas tree.

Serving Suggestions

Note

• If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand. Place flour and lemon zest in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in wet ingredients and egg. Combine well, then turn out onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes until soft and elastic.
• If you want to get creative, use coloured icing and cake decorations to ‘trim’ the tree.
• If you are looking for a simple homemade dessert for kids then this Christmas Yule log is the perfect buffet dessert.
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• You can make these Christmas chocolate spoons with the kids and enjoy some family time as you decorate them together.
• This Fruit Christmas tree  is a healthy alternative to all the indulgence of Christmas. It could be a beautiful, edible centrepiece for your table.
• These Caramel Christmas apples are a delicious take on toffee apples for the festive season.
• You can make these Christmas ginger joy biscuits and thread them on string to create a Christmas decoration.
• These Gingerbread families are made with a traditional gingerbread recipe and decorated with Royal icing.
• These Christmas crackles are also a fun cooking activity for kids.
• If you like rocky road then these Christmas rocky road bites are a delicious. Just don’t forget they contain nuts so you may need to label them.
• This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.