Lotus Biscoff Cookies

Making the dough for the Lotus Biscoff rolls

I love one bowl recipes so simple put all the dough ingredients in a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Mix and knead until its combined.

Your dough should be relatively smooth, cohesive and have no pockets of butter or flour. I have tested this recipe many times but I understand that every brand of flour and plant-based milk have different absorbencies.

You may need to ‘eye’ the dough and:

· If the dough is too dry, add 1 tsp of milk at a time and knead until it comes together. The dough will resist the milk initially but eventually it combine.
· If the dough is too wet sticky, add 1 tsp of flour at a time and knead until its no longer sticking the side of the bowl.

Resting the dough for the first time

Place the dough in a large and deep bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. The moisture from the towel will prevent it from drying out. Position the bowl in a WARM spot in your house. That could be:

· In the oven with the light on

· Near the stove while you’re cooking something else

· Close to a window in shade

· Near a heater (if its Winter)

If it doesn’t double or grow 150% in size, don’t ignore it. Reposition the dough in a warmer spot and wait until it does.

How to shape the Lotus Biscoff rolls

Place the risen dough on a floured surface. Then flatten it into a large square or rectangle. I used a rolling pin but a round and even jar will work tooJ

Once you have done that, liberally spread the vegan butter or margarine on the surface. I like spreading mine to the edges because I think the end rolls need a bit of love too! Spread the caramel on the base using the back of a spoon.

Ok, then roll up the dough as tightly as possible. Start from the long side and, bit by bit, roll it up into a long tube!

Use a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss to cut rolls out of the tube. I prefer to ident the tube at half way then quarters so I get relatively even rolls.

Resting the dough for the second time

Since we just handled the dough A LOT, it needs to rest again. Its like self-care for people – after we work, we need to look after ourselves and restJ

Place all the rolls in a greased baking tray.

With spacing the rolls, you’ve two options:

· Arrange the rolls CLOSE to each other (like below). Your rolls will likely be square shaped (nothing wrong with that) and be forced to grow upwards. It also means the rolls have soft and pillowy edges, OR

· Arrange the rolls SPACE APART. Your rolls will likely be round as they’ll have room to grow outwards. It’ll also mean your rolls will have a crispier edge.

Sometimes you are limited by what baking tin you have. Or you can pick which one you prefer and space your rolls accordingly!

Instructions:

· To make buns: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl or stand mixer and mix until it comes together. Knead the mixture until it forms a smooth and stretchy dough. Add a little more milk if the dough is too dry or a little more flour if the dough sticks to the bowl.

· Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set it aside in a warm spot for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. If it doesn’t double, place the dough in a WARMER spot until it does.

To prepare the caramel filling: Instructions

· In a medium pot, add the vegan butter and melt it over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the light brown sugar and

· Dust a clean surface with flour. Scoop the dough onto the surface and roll it out into a large rectangular shape.

· Use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to spread the caramel once cold.

· Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a large tube. Use a sharp knife to cut buns out of the dough.

· Arrange the rolls on a greased baking tray, leaving a little space in between each bun. Place a damp tea towel over the buns and set aside to rise.

· When you’ve ready to bake the buns, pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

· When the oven is hot, bake the buns for 15-20 minutes. The rolls are ready when you insert a skewer in one of the middle buns and it doesn’t have wet dough on it. Set aside to cool.

· The buns are best eaten the day they are baked. Alternatively, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for 3-4 days. Warm up the buns before you enjoy them.

Notes:

Instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated or bloomed beforehand. However, if you use another type of yeast, combine it with warm milk and pinch of sugar beforehand. Wait until it bubbles then use it in the recipe.

Lotus Biscoff Cookies

Lotus Biscoff Cookies