Manna from Heaven

I'm not religious, but Holy Cow, I think I discovered the divine source of all that is good in the universe this weekend, and its name is Coconut Bacon:

The sun shines on Coconut Bacon, revealing the divine glory of its bacon-y goodness

Now, I realize I'm late to this bandwagon, because I've seen other vegans preaching the word about Coconut Bacon for sometime now.  But I feel like Vegan MoFo is not just a month-long celebration of vegan food, but it's also a chance to make Over-The-Top vegan food. So, having tried my hand at Coconut Bacon for the first time, it was time to put it to good use:  Coconut Bacon Cinnamon Rolls.

Hello, Beautiful.  Meet you at 11 for brunch, 'kay?

Seriously? Do I need to say anything else? Get baking!

Coconut-Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from The Pioneer Woman by Ree Drummond

First, make a batch of Coconut Bacon. Then start your dough:

Dough:
2 cups almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar

Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl and heat in the microwave until warm.  Then stir in with a wooden spoon:
4 cups all-purpose flour

Stir until just combined. Dough will seem very soft/slack/sticky.  That's okay!  Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place for one hour.  (While dough is rising, try not to eat too much of the coconut bacon that is cooling in the pan on the table.)

Then stir in:
another 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt


If the dough seems overly soft & sticky, mix in a little more flour (no more than 1/2 a cup at a time).  You want the dough to be relatively soft, though, so don't get carried away.  I just make sure to flour my board good when rolling out.

Split dough in half and work with one half at a time.  Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 10" by 15".  Pour 1/2 cup melted Earth Balance over the rectangle and spread with your hands.  Sprinkle with half a cup of sugar (you can use white or brown, doesn't matter) and about 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon.  Then sprinkle about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of coconut bacon over the top. Put a handful of coconut bacon in your mouth, and then roll up the dough tightly.  Repeat with other half of dough.

Using a sharp knife, slice into 1" to 1 1/2" thick rolls.  Depending on how thick you cut them, you'll get about 12-16 rolls per log.  Prepare three square (9"x9") or round (8-9") pans (glass or aluminum, doesn't really matter) by drizzing a couple tablespoons of melted Earth Balance in the bottom of each and swirling to coat.  Then put about 8-9 rolls in each pan.  Don't overcrowd the pan; you want to give these guys some room to rise! I had a couple that wouldn't fit in my big pans, so I just buttered some little glass dishes and voila!

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for at least 20 minutes.  Eat just a few more pinches of coconut bacon while waiting.  When puffed, remove the plastic wrap and bake at 375 degrees F for about 14-18 minutes.  You want the rolls to be golden, but not overly browned.  Set pans on rack to cool.

Make the icing by whisking together in a medium bowl:

3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup almond milk
3 T. melted Earth Balance
2 T. strong brewed coffee
dash of salt
1 tsp. maple flavoring.

Drizzle over the warm rolls, and then sprinkle with more coconut bacon!!  Devour!!  Praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster or deity of your choice! 

I was so intoxicated by the smell that I apparently couldn't hold still to take a clear picture.