Make something sweet for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day. These delicious sweet rolls will say “I love you” in a big way.

Strawberry Lemon Sweet Rolls

Servings: Yield=16 sweet rolls | Time: 40 minutes active; 2 hours inactive | Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

• Sweet dough (see recipe below)
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• Strawberry filling (see recipe below)
• Lemon frosting (see recipe below)

Instructions:

1. On a floured surface, roll out sweet dough in a rectangle shape about 1/8 inch thick.
2. Spread butter evenly across rolled out dough.
3. Spoon strawberry filling onto dough, and spread evenly.
4. Starting on one of the long ends, roll dough up tightly into one long roll. (Note: if a lot of the strawberry filling squeezes out while you are rolling, you can spoon some of it back on top of the sweet rolls before baking.)
5. Using a long strand of dental floss, cut the rolls to about 1 inch thick, and place them in a greased baking dish.
6. Cover the baking dish with a clean towel, and place strawberry rolls in a warm place to rise.
7. Once the sweet rolls have doubled in bulk, bake them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15–20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
8. Allow the strawberry rolls to cool slightly, and then spread the lemon frosting on top.
9. Serve warm or cold—either way is delicious!

Sweet Dough

Servings: 16 | Time: 25 minutes active; 2 hours inactive | Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 1/2–3 cups flour
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. In an stand mixer bowl with a dough hook, dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Stir in milk, sugar, salt, and butter.
3. Add 1 cup of flour and the egg to make a batter; mix for 1 minute.
4. Add the remaining flour, and mix until well incorporated to form a soft dough.
5. Remove dough from mixture, knead a few times, and then place in a greased bowl with a towel over it.
6. Place dough in a warm place to rise until double in bulk.

Strawberry Filling

Servings: Yield=2 cups | Time: 20 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2 cups strawberries, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 drops lemon essential oil

Instructions:

1. Place strawberries in a saucepan over medium heat, and warm until the berries start to release their juices, stirring frequently.
2. Stir together the sugar and the cornstarch, and then stir them into the strawberries.
3. Continue heating until the mixture start to thicken, stirring frequently.
4. Remove from heat, stir in lemon essential oil, and place in the fridge to cool.

Lemon Frosting

Servings: Yield=Frosts 16 sweet rolls | Time: 10 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1–2 Tbsp. milk
• 3 drops lemon essential oil

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together melted butter and powdered sugar.
2. Add lemon juice, and stir to incorporate.
3. Add milk until you reach your desired consistency.
4. Stir in lemon essential oil.
5. Use to frost strawberry sweet rolls.