Today we are making a variation on everyone’s new favourite cinnamon knots with these Gingerbread Molasses Knots!These were originally supposed to be holiday recipe but time got a biiiiit away from me this year. I can’t believe its only a few days until 2022!
I actually feel quite lost in the in between of Christmas to New Years. Normally I feel like time passes soooo slow. But this year, I started a new book series and have spent most of the day everyday reading! It is such a welcome change from the jam-packed days we had leading up to the holidays. I don’t remember the last time I was this invested in a series of books!
All that to say, it doesn’t need to be pre-Christmas or the holidays to enjoy these yummy, slightly spiced, rich molasses knots!
Don’t be intimidated…
If you’re like me, and a little intimidated by yeast, rising, bread making, etc. I am here to tell you – you can make these! Despite the scariness of making dough by scratch, it really is only a few ingredients and a few steps. I’ll walk you through it! I believe in you! And it is soooo worth it when you take the trays out of the oven and the aroma of freshly baked buttery dough and gingerbread hits you.
How to make the knots:
The steps are outlined with photos in this post, I promise it gets easier after the first couple, and you’ll be a pro in no time!
Looking for more holiday sweets?
Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Sauce
Brown Sugar and Maple Sticky Buns
Gingerbread Molasses Knots
Description
Fluffy cinnamon gingerbread knots with crispy edges, shiny tops and gingerbread molasses glaze – completely vegan!
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1/2 cup vegan margarine
- 1 cup nondairy milk
- 1 cup water
- 4 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
Filling:
- 1/2 cup margarine
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp molasses
Shiny Glaze:
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Gingerbread Drizzle:
- 2 tbsp softened vegan butter
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1–2 tbsp nondairy milk
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small pot, melt the butter and then add the milk and water. Warm the mixture until it’s just warm to the touch/lukewarm. Whisk in the yeast and sugar until dissolved. Add the salt.
- Add the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on.
- Slowly add the flour with the mixer on low speed mixing continuously. I like to add it about 1 cup at a time, letting it mix in before adding more, just to stop the flour from poofing everywhere. Once all the flour has been added, continue to knead for about 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and pulling away from the sides of the bowl, and not too sticky to the touch.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and gather the dough into a ball in the center of the bowl (just pull it away from the sides of the bowl so it’s not stuck to the sides). Place a clean tea towel overtop of the bowl and then add a cookbook or sheet pan on top – I find this helps it rise better. Leave it on the countertop in a draft-free area for 1 hour to rise.
- Meanwhile, stir together the filling ingredients, then set aside.
- Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper. If you don’t have two, you can just have a piece of parchment paper ready that will fit the pan so you can transfer it once the first batch is done.
- Remove the pan and towel off the bowl and give the dough a punch right in the middle to deflate it. Divide the dough in half and place one half on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a rectangle about 18 inches wide by 14 inches tall.
- Spread the filling onto half of the dough (see photos above for these steps) then fold the dough widthwise over the half with filling, to cover it.
- Use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to divide the folded dough, widthwise, into 8 equal strips.
- Slice each strip in half, but don’t cut all the way, so it is attached at the top by an inch of uncut dough. It will have two “legs”.
- Twist each leg of dough, then twist them around each other. Finally, wrap it into a knot and place on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with remaining dough (you will get 8 knots per pan).
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Cover the sheet pan of cinnamon knots with a tea towel and place on the stove as the oven heats up. This will help them rise a little bit more and make them nice and fluffy.
- Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown on top.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot on the stove, add the glaze ingredients and bring to a simmer, stirring and simmering until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove pans from the oven and brush tops of cinnamon knots immediately with the sugar glaze. This will make them nice and shiny and keep the tops from getting hard.
- Mix together gingerbread drizzle ingredients in a small bowl, then drizzle over knots just before serving.
- Serve! Store extras in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. You can also freeze and reheat in the oven as you please.
