a. It was Valentine's Day, and growing up in my house, that meant everyone gives gifts. Of love. It wasn't really about romance.
b. Let's be honest. They were/are the best friends and roommates ever. Really, I mean ever.
c. Why would I ever turn down a chance to make a delicious treat? My point exactly.
So, I decided to try a whole wheat cinnamon roll recipe. I had been craving cinnamon rolls, and had heard of some good whole wheat recipes, so I thought I'd give it a go.
Rising.
I also tried a cream cheese frosting recipe that uses only honey. And dyed it pink with raspberry juice. Because it was the day of love and hearts and pink and red. Duh.
Also, natural food dye? Awesome! Though I think if you want a dark color, maybe using beets is better. I just didn't happen to have any beets laying around. In the middle of February.
I'm going to be honest here, I wasn't thrilled with how they turned out. While I was making them, I wasn't sure if the wheat flour we had at my house was white wheat or red wheat, but they were so dense and heavy when they were done, I could only imagine that it was red wheat. They were more like biscuits. And even with my near-doubling of the butter and sugar in the middle, it was still dry.
The frosting turned out okay, but atop the wheat-y biscuit rolls, it didn't taste very good. HOWEVER, they were made with LOVE, so that made all the difference (not to mention my friends are in to health food, so they thought the no sugar natural food dye frosting wheat-y-ness of them was fantastic. And that is one of the many reasons that I love my friends.).
Then, for decorative/presentation purposes, I pulled out a bunch of old magazines and magazine clippings I've collected, and cut hearts out of beautiful pictures...
...and scattered the hearts on and around the plates of rolls, with a love note.
The plate I left for my upstairs roommates looked like this when I came home.
I think that means they liked them.
