Brave Iced Rolls
Have you ever wanted to make Iced Rolls just like in the Pixar movie Brave? Merida and her Mother Elinor make Iced Rolls for the children in this movie.
These pastries are not like any other pastries, but what exactly makes them special? And why would someone want to learn how to recreate these?
There are a few reasons that people enjoy making and eating this type of pastry. For one thing, it is straightforward and fast to make even though it looks complicated.
Merida’s Mother Elinor is known for being a great cook throughout the Pixar movie. All of her dishes are excellent, but none have ever reached the fame that these Iced Rolls have received! Even though they look difficult or time-consuming to make, this recipe is quick and easy!
What Makes These Brave Iced Rolls so Special?
The reason why these rolls are so famous is definitely because of the glaze on top! Not only does this help sweeten up the pastry, but it also gives a nice shine to them. It really makes them pop out from all the other ones!
Apart from that, Brave Iced Rolls are essentially the same as sweet buns. This recipe that Elinor has created herself and perfected over time, is important to note as it saves you from trial and error yourself!
People have wanted to recreate these rolls and there is a good reason: They are very delicious and not too tricky to make.
The perfect treat for anyone – whether they love baking or just want to try something new!
Ingredients
Flour: The flour is the recipe’s base and forms the dough for these pastries.
Dry Yeast: This makes the dough rise and form bubbles, so it becomes light and fluffy.
Sugar: This adds sweetness to the pastries and helps with getting that glaze on top!
Salt: Salt gives the pastry flavor and regulates how much yeast gets activated.
Butter: This is an essential key ingredient in many recipes, especially in pastries like these.
Milk: Milk helps make the dough moist like adding water would do. It also brings out some of those flavors mentioned earlier.
Egg: This helps bind the dough together and gives a nice color to the outside of the buns.
Icing Ingredients
Powdered Sugar: As mentioned before, caster sugar will help with sweetness and getting a nice glaze on top of your Brave Iced Rolls. You’ll need this both in your sugar syrup as well as sprinkled on top of them!
Milk: This adds creaminess to your glaze, so it blends well with your pastries.
Vanilla Extract: The beautiful vanilla taste that comes from this ingredient gives these rolls their incredible flavor! Try and use natural vanilla extract if possible.
How to make Brave Iced Rolls
First, add the warm milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer, then stir until the yeast has dissolved. Then add the egg and 1/2 of the flour salt mixture and start to mix at a low speed. Add the softened butter and the rest of the flour and the salt and mix until well combined.
Then add the butter pieces and the flour slowly until it is well combined.
Knead the dough at a medium speed for about 5 minutes so that it becomes elastic – this will make it easy to roll out later on. Then place it in a greased bowl, cover it with cling film and allow it to rise.
Then start to roll the dough out until it’s about 1/2 cm thick. Use a pastry wheel cutter or sharp knife to cut into 12 even pieces, then shape them into buns. Place these on a greased baking tray covered with a cloth or cling film and allow them to rise for a second time (about 15 minutes).
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 200C/400F degrees.
Bake the buns in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
To make the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla essence until smooth. Drizzle this over your cooled buns and top it with a cherry.
Variations
There are several variations you can try for this recipe. On top of switching up the glaze to include different ingredients (like fruit or chocolate), there are some variations you can try on the dough itself!
If you want to get even more creative, then consider filling the rolls after baking with some cream cheese frosting or whipped cream. This is an easy way to create cream buns. For more flavor and an even more special look.
The first variation is adding some raisins to the dough before baking them. This will make them even sweeter and more flavorful! But if this is not your thing, you can simply add some cinnamon to the dough. This will give them a pleasant spicy taste!
Baking Tips
Let me give you a few tips for baking the Iced Rolls. First of all, make sure to check your yeast before using it. This means that you should always double-check the expiry date and pay attention to any changes in color or smell.
For the dough, all you have to do is mix your ingredients and add them to your kneading machine to form a smooth ball. Then, put it in an oiled bowl covered with cling film before putting it in a warm area for around 45 minutes to 1 hour. The warmth will help activate the yeast, which makes the dough rise.
Lastly, make sure you are using fresh dairy products when baking these pastries! This includes eggs, milk, or butter, all of which should be as fresh as possible so that they give off their fullest flavor and aroma while baking!
How to use an Air Fryer for Brave Iced Rolls
I have been asked whether it is possible to use an Air Fryer to create those delicious sweet buns. The simple answer is yes, it is possible to bake them in an air fryer. This way, they get their nice golden color and nice crispy outside while still having that moist inside we all know and love! To do so:
Preheat your air fryer to 200°C or 400°F.
Shape your dough into small balls – the size of a golf ball – and line them up in the air fryer basket. If you prefer a bigger size, you can make them more the size of a tennis ball and put fewer of them in at a time.
Cook for about 8-10 minutes, making sure to give the rolls a good shake after 5 minutes so they can cook equally on all sides!
If you want your Brave Iced Rolls even crispier – and who doesn’t? Just bake them for another one or two minutes. Keep a close eye on them in the process to make sure they don’t burn.
Once baked, take it out of your air fryer and let them cool down.
How to store Brave Iced Rolls
If you wish to keep the Brave Iced Rolls fresh for as long as possible, it is recommended to store them in an airtight container. This will ensure they do not dry out and instead stay soft and fresh!
On top of storing them in an airtight container, you could also freeze the pastries! If you put them in the freezer right after baking (once cooled), they’ll stay perfectly fresh for up to 3 months. But if you want to freeze some of them, then make sure to line the rolls on a sheet before putting them in the freezer.
Once frozen, put them into an airtight container or bag and label them with the date! This way, your Brave Iced Rolls will not be lost in frozen purgatory, but you can easily dig them out when you need them!
More Delicious Disney Inspired Recipes
Beauty and the Beast Rose Apple Pastry
Princess Tiana’s Famous Beignets Recipe
BRAVE ICED ROLLS
Ingredients
- 1 cup Warm milk
- 1 tablespoon Dry yeast
- 4 tablespoon White granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Butter softened
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (Optional)
- 3 ¼ cups Bread flour
- 12 Maraschino cherries
ICING
- 3 cups Powdered sugar
- ¼ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
Instructions
ROLLS
- Place the warm milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Whisk gently and let sit for about 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, salt, butter, egg, vanilla extract, and flour to the bowl.
- Use a dough hook attachment to blend the ingredients together at medium speed.
- It will take around 10 minutes for the dough to come together and form a smooth ball.
- Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough sit for an hour, allow it to rise, and puff up to about double its original size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate, then place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a large rectangle.
- Roll up the dough tightly like a Swiss roll.
- Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces, slicing slowly to keep the circular shape of each bun as you slice.
- Place the slices on a parchment-lined sheet tray, then cover the tray gently with plastic wrap and let it sit for another hour to allow the rolls time to rise again.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- Once the rolls are puffed, remove the plastic wrap and place the tray in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.
- Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool down.
ICING
- While the rolls are baking, make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and lemon juice.
- Once the buns have cooled use a decorating bag to add the icing ontop of the rolls, and then top with a single cherry in the center.
- Place back on the sheet tray to let the icing dry, then enjoy!
