Pillowy cider-infused rolls filled with brown butter spice, Honeycrisp apples, and cranberries, then crowned with maple cream cheese glaze.
The holidays deserve a showstopper, and this one starts with Portland Cider Co. True Brut. Crisp, dry, and full of bright apple character, the cider is more than something to sip alongside these rolls—it is the flavor running through every warm, gooey layer.
I reduce Portland Cider Co. True Brut until its apple flavor becomes beautifully concentrated, then use it in the fluffy tangzhong dough and the jammy Honeycrisp apple-cranberry filling. Brown butter, cinnamon, and cardamom bring cozy bakery warmth, while maple cream cheese glaze melts into every spiral.
To make Portland Cider Co. the star from first bite to final sip, I serve the rolls with a sparkling Cranberry Maple True Brut Spritz. Together, they taste like the first celebration of the holiday season.
Why Portland Cider Co. True Brut Works in This Recipe
Reducing the cider concentrates its apple character while preserving the crispness that keeps the filling from tasting overly sweet. It complements the Honeycrisp apples, tart cranberries, maple, and warm spices without getting lost beneath them.
Portland Cider Co. Brut appears in three important places:
- The dough, adding subtle cider flavor to each fluffy roll
- The fruit filling, reinforcing the apples and balancing the sweetness
- The accompanying spritz, where its crisp, sparkling character takes center stage
Recipe Overview
- Yield: 12 large rolls
- Pan: 9-by-13-inch baking dish
- Oven temperature: 350°F
- First rise: 1 to 1½ hours
- Second rise: 30 to 45 minutes
- Bake time: 25 to 35 minutes
- Best for: Holiday breakfast, brunch, dessert, or a festive gathering
Ingredients
Portland Cider Co. Brut Reduction
- 3 cups Portland Cider Co. True Brut
Tangzhong
- 3 tablespoons bread flour
- ½ cup whole milk
Cider-Enriched Dough
- Prepared tangzhong, cooled
- 5 cups bread flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup cooled Portland Cider Co. True Brut reduction
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
Honeycrisp Apple-Cranberry Cider Filling
- 3 cups Honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced small (2 large apples)
- 1/4 cup Portland Cider Co. True Brut reduction
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Brown Butter Spice Filling
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
Festive Toppings
- Chopped pecans
- Chopped dried cranberries
Instructions
1. Concentrate the Portland Cider Co. True Brut
Pour the cider into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cook until the 3 cups have reduced to ¾ cup. Transfer the reduction to a heat-safe container and cool completely.
This step deepens the cider’s apple flavor, creating a concentrated ingredient for both the dough and fruit filling.
2. Make the tangzhong
Whisk the bread flour and milk together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture becomes smooth and thick like pudding.
Remove it from the heat and cool completely. This simple technique gives the rolls an especially soft, fluffy texture.
3. Mix the dough
Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cooled tangzhong, eggs, milk, and ¼ cup of the cooled cider reduction.
Mix with the dough hook until combined. Add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing it to blend into the dough after each addition.
Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
4. Complete the first rise
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it. Let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled.
5. Cook the cider fruit filling
While the dough rises, combine the Honeycrisp apples, 1/4 cup cider reduction, maple syrup, brown sugar, cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the apples soften and the mixture becomes thick and jammy. Most of the liquid should evaporate. Remove the filling from the heat and cool completely.
6. Prepare the brown butter filling
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until it turns golden and smells toasted and nutty.
Let it cool slightly, then stir in the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla.
7. Assemble the rolls
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Roll the dough into a 12-by-18-inch rectangle. Spread the brown butter mixture evenly across the dough, followed by the cooled apple-cranberry cider filling.
Starting at a long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Cut it into 12 equal rolls and arrange them in the prepared dish.
8. Complete the second rise
Cover the rolls and let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes, or until puffy.
9. Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and the center rolls reach approximately 190°F.
Let the rolls cool slightly while you make the glaze.
10. Glaze and finish
Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and salt, then continue beating until creamy and fluffy.
Spread the glaze over the warm rolls. Finish with chopped pecans and dried cranberries.
Cranberry Maple Portland Cider Co. True Brut Spritz
This simple cocktail brings Portland Cider Co. Brut out of the recipe and into the glass, making it the perfect pairing for the finished rolls.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- ½ ounce maple syrup
- 5 ounces Portland Cider Co. True Brut
- Edible glitter, optional
- Orange slice, for garnish
Instructions
Fill a glass with ice and add the cranberry juice and maple syrup. Top with Portland Cider Co. True Brut.
Add a small pinch of edible glitter, if desired, and stir gently. Garnish with an orange slice.
Serving Notes
Serve the rolls warm so the maple cream cheese glaze can melt into the cider-scented spirals. Each bite layers fluffy dough, buttery spice, jammy fruit, and bright apple flavor.
Set the remaining Portland Cider Co. True Brut on the table with a batch of Cranberry Maple Brut Spritzes and let the cider carry the experience from the first bite to the final toast.
Portland Cider Co. True Brut is not just the pairing—it is the heart of the recipe. The first taste of the holidays starts here. 🍎🥂🍂
