V.I.Peas
Among our Sunday traditions, like showing up fifteen minutes late for church and Lulu filling her diaper like clockwork in the church nursery (both which occurred yesterday without fail, Easter Sunday or not), is our weekly stop at Great Harvest Bread.
We all love Great Harvest for their really delicious and healthy baked goods, but more importantly, their free slices of bread. Since we do show up every Sunday, we’ve become the local celebrities at our favorite location. Well, not me. I don’t even usually get offered a slice. But Gigi and Lulu’s royal treatment by the GH staff borders on embarrassing. It’s reminiscent of when Oprah went to Costco during an episode, and instead of giving her a baby spoon of Kirkland vanilla ice cream, the sample ladies gave her something that looked like the world’s biggest ice cream sundae.
I feel that this is not only inherently unfair to me as a Costco customer, who has to shove the elderly and small children riding in the appropriate sections of their carts out of the way for a wooden spoon’s worth of ice cream, but also to Oprah, because it gives her a false perception of what going to Costco is really like. In this same vein, my children are going to grow up thinking that if you go to Great Harvest, not only do you not have to purchase anything to be handed a half a loaf of free bread, but if they don’t have the flavor you want on the breadboard, they’ll just go grab a warm loaf of Apple Crunch right out of the oven and slice it in ridiculously large chunks just for you.
So knowing that my girls would be deprived of their weekly trip to Great Harvest yesterday, I wanted to give them a special Easter breakfast that was just as good as one of their favorite Great Harvest treats: Blackberry Cinnamon Rolls.
Blackberry Cinnamon Rolls
Dough:
- 1 cup non-dairy milk, warmed
- 1 packet yeast
- 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
- 2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 c. organic unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 T. baking powder
- 1/4 c. organic sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 t. salt
Cinnful Filling:
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1 T. cinnamon
- 2 T. Earth Balance (or other dairy free margarine), softened
- 1 pint of blackberries
Icing:
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- 1/4 c. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
- splash of vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Dissolve yeast in warm almond milk. Set aside. Combine whole wheat flour, spices, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine filling ingredients minus the berries and set aside.
After yeast and milk is foamy (about 5-8 minutes or so), stir in applesauce. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured bread board and knead for a minute or so (about 20 times). Knead in as much extra flour (~1/4 c.) as necessary so that dough is no longer sticky.
Roll dough into a large rectangle.
Sprinkle filling over dough.
Scatter clean blackberries over the filling.
Roll dough up firmly to make a log. Cut the log into eight equal pieces and place in a loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Either cover rolls and place in the refrigerator overnight, or if planning to bake immediately, let dough rise in a warm place for at least 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 23 minutes.
Combine icing ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle with icing.
While the rolls were baking, the girls explored their Easter baskets and hunted for plastic eggs.
Lulu got the short end of the stick on this deal, not only because Gigi had no shame in monopolizing the eggs, but also in the fact that despite having half a dozen cute baskets for Lulu to find eggs with, Gigi gave her a wicker baby bassinet to awkwardly cart around. As if she needed a bigger disadvantage.
The cinnamon rolls ending up being a hit, and we were off to church (ahem, fifteen minutes late) with full tummies and happy hearts. I thought we were in the clear, until we pulled out of the church parking lot after services and Gigi immediately asks, “Are we going to Great Harvest?”
Yes, Oprah. I’m sure they’ll open the store just for you.
***I’ve broken my BFL page into weeks. Week 1 is in the bag, with photographic evidence of a special “free day” treat.
Oh that last picture of Gigi!!…..can I just say GORGEOUS?
Those blackberry cinnamon rolls look to die for! Yum. And that last picture of Gigi is priceless. Adorable!
Cutest. Blog title. Ever.
haha awww too cute! I am glad to see you guys had a nice holiday!
I have never tried Great Harvest but I would like to in the future.
HOLY HEAVEN! those rolls look absolutely gorgeous, gooey, and perfect. i love the idea of putting fresh berries in as well! yum!
Those cinnamon rolls look fabulous. Great Harvest bread is TOO good to forget though
Ahaha lucky girls! And those Blackberry Cinnamon Rolls look so delicious.
Whoa, this recipe looks so good, that I might get over my fear of any recipe requiring yeast. Blackberries=genius addition!
I’m pretty sure Great Harvest is the girls’ first pass at getting better deals in life because they are cute! If it still worked, I would rock some pigtails for some great bread too!
I love it. Your kids are adorable. And that picture of Gigi at the end says it all.
Cuteness (or celebrity) gets you everything! We had a few little traditions that we were starting on (like bagels Sunday), but my husband went and got celiac…the nerve! So, we are now trying to figure out what the new traditions will be. The rolls look delicious!
Love the pics, your girls are beautiful. The rolls look amazing.
Um, hello, those look like the world’s best cinnamon rolls!!!
wow, a year ago, i never would have though vegan cinnamon rolls were even possible! I’ve learned so much from your blog! can’t wait to try these.
That last picture of gigi is seriously hilarious.
I wish I got special treatment at our local Great Harvest! A friend and I went and had the worst experience ever, complete with an elderly lady basically shooing us out of the store. Sadly I won’t be back.
Boo!
I’m glad that you all have a fabbo time though! Love the egg-hunt and the blackberry cinnamon rolls look amazing. I have BBs to use up so I might give it a shot!
first of all your title is the highlight of this post. i am still giggling about it. but HOLY MOLY.. those rolls are incredible! you are quite the baker! i love lulus purple slippers
BRILLIANT title. Have you been waiting to use that for a while? They used to do that with Sex and the City episodes–they’d have the joke just waiting for the perfect scenario, or they’d create episodes based around one punchline. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there.
I would LOVE some Great Harvest. I’ve heard nothing but scrumptious things about it.
Hmmm, maybe I’ve met someone I’d like to make those cinnamon rolls for…just maybe
Hope you have a fabulous Monday!
xoxoxxo
so I just cross referenced this with your BFL page and I can’t believe you didn’t eat any of those cinnamon rolls!! Your willpower is astounding.
Happy Easter Mama Pea and those rolls looks just beyond good. I love blacks and blues, but they are still kinda $$ here right now, even at TJs. Dang those look good
Oh my, there was a Great Harvest around the area of where my dad used to live and i remember going there for the Apple Crunch at least twice every time i was there with him! The teenaged girl behind the counter either thought my dad was cute, or sympathized with the fact that we could never make a decision so she always gave us a ton of fresh sample slices as well!
I am sure that would work at more places that just GH with Gigi and Lulu! How could you not want to bake loafs of free bread and risk your job for those faces? haha. I made (attempted) some of your recipes to bring to a dinner with the extended fam tonight so i will let you know how they turn out!
Wow! Those cinnamon rolls look really good! Good recipe, Mama Pea! Oh, and by the way…I saw a book at the elementary school today…I think it was called “The Little Pea”. It looked so cute and reminded me of your blog. It had a pea on a spoon on the front cover.
hahaha my gigi gets the same royal treatment at our local cupcake shock! ah, to be cute and little and only have to smile to get freebies. i have to adjust my posture (read: stick out my chest) for any chance of free goodies. kidding. i dont really do that. often.
I love your blog! I love the idea behind it. I plan to raise my kid(s) vegetarian one day, as well.
My mouth is absolutely watering over those blackberry cinnamon rolls!
wow, almost makes me want to make them!
they look delicious!
OMG – the bassinet almost made me PMP!!!! At work!
Hahaha…i always gave my brothers the short end of the stick on easter because i hid their baskets…in horrible no can find places. LOL.
gigi is hilarious. the girl knows what she likes!
mmmm those cinnamon rolls look spectacular!
I’ve never been to a Great Harvest, but I will definitely look if they have one in the Eugene area. (Most likely not, as it’s Eugene)
Holy Moly those rolls look amazing!!
Oh, and I figured out a way you could veganize the chicken with pb.. how about tofu with peanut butter?? Haha!
your daughters make me laugh with their expressions! love your recipes- you’re so creative!
Katherine
Oh, to be a little girl again … of course, if you’re ridiculously cute like Gigi and Livi, people will be handing you stuff wherever you go.
Looks like Gigi had a plan for getting the most Easter eggs
I remember bowling over my (slightly taller) younger sister in our quest for eggs. I guess it’s a sisters thing. Your blueberry cinnful rolls look like da awesome – very creative!
how did gigi’s hair grow so fast!! its so long now!
i wish my easter sunday involved those roll-up blackberry goodies. yummmm!!
IVE BEEN TO GREAT HARVEST IN SO-LAME!
its soo good, free slice of bread AND there is one in a strip mall that also has a starbucks! lol
Can I just say…HOLY YUM!! Those blackberry cinnamon rolls look amazing…goinna HAVE to make those babies!!
boy do those scrolls look GREAT!!!!
Blackberry cinnamon rolls…YUM…I am so making these!!
Your kids are soooo adorable! Way too cute! And I have to try those cinnamon rolls soon! Thanks!
Your kids are MODEL gorgeous and I love her purple slippers! Loved your tweet about not wasting pineapples- bahahah!
Oh migosh! If anyone made those rolls for me, I wouldn’t even remember the name of the restaurant! I seriously cracked up seeing poor Lulu lugging the bassinet around. Poor girl.
I made these cinnamon rolls today for our mother’s day brunch and they were as amazing as they look!!!
Thanks for the awesome recipe… they were a big hit!! 
I just made these lovely, lovely cinnamon rolls but with chocolate chips instead of blackberries. They’re so, so good! Thank you Mama Pea!
I’m obviously very new to your blog, and making my way through it, and it’s so worth it!
Hi Mamma Pea! Wondering if frozen blackberries once they are thawed or perhaps frozen blueberries would work just as well? I want to make these for Christmas morning because it’s something my Grandma always had at her house on Christmas morning : )