Rock Cakes, Revisted..with yeast!

With Deathly Hallows Part 2 coming out this Friday, there's NO way I'm missing the chance to make as many Harry Potter related recipes as possible.  It's the end of the era..seven books, eight films..almost done (except for Pottermore, yeah? - maybe it'll never end!).  I spent the past few days rereading the seventh book to prepare myself for the end, although it'll probably guarantee that I hate the movie (I can never handle the differences between the books and movies!).

I've made rock cakes before, but I decided I'd change them up a bit (mostly because I wanted some cinnamon raisin bread, but I was more concerned about doing something HP related) by using yeast instead.  These aren't your traditional rock cakes; you probably wouldn't find Mrs. Weasley serving these with tea (or Hagrid..but I don't think any traditional recipe resembles Hagrid's, either!), but they're still spot on with the flavor of a rock cake, just a little fluffier.  I'm so happy about how these turned out.

I used a traditional cinnamon roll dough (healthified), divided it into pieces and filled each piece with cinnamon, raisins and truvia.  They look like regular buns on the outside, but you get a little surprise once you bite into them..and yummmm is it delicious!

Just a fun fact about the book pictured here.  I'm obviously from the US, but my dad got me the boxed set of the adult UK editions of Harry Potter for Christmas to read when I got my wisdom teeth out.  It was so much fun to see the differences in wording between the editions!  What's sort of bothersome to me, though, is that it was only my second read through of this copy, and I already have a few pages coming out (you should see my hardcover US editions..they've seen better days).  I obviously throw my HP books around too much..or read them a bit too thoroughly.

It's going to be a fun week with Harry Potter recipes leading up to the movie!  I have a few planned, but I'm not quite sure when they'll be completed, since I'm also working!  I won't be seeing the movie until at least Saturday, so I have lots of time. :)

Yeasted Rock Cakes

makes about 20

For the dough:

1 cup warm milk

2 eggs

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 t salt

12 packets truvia (or 1/2 cup sugar)

2 1/4 t yeast (1 package)

For the dough:

about 16-18 raisins per cake (probably about a cup total?)

3 packets truvia

2-3 t cinnamon

Warm the milk in the microwave for about 40 seconds.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast into the milk and let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.  Add the truvia, applesauce, salt, eggs and flour and mix thoroughly.  Knead for 5-10 minutes with a dough hook, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with oil.  Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.

Divide the dough into about 20 equal pieces (more or less depending on the size you make them).  Flatten each piece into an oval about 1/2" thick and place 16-18 raisins on top.  Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon and truvia.  Roll the dough starting with the shorter side and then pinch the edges together so that it forms a tight seal, so that you cannot see any of the raisins.  Place the seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough balls.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for a second time, about 15-30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF in the meantime.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden.  Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve.