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Spelt is not gluten-free as it is closely related to wheat, barley, and rye. Compared to conventional wheat, spelt contains a weaker gluten structure and is, therefore, better tolerated by people with a mild wheat allergy.

However, if you have Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, spelt can still cause mild to severe issues. While my husband and I aren’t gluten-sensitive, we try to avoid wheat and gluten-containing grains as much as possible to manage his auto-immune disease.

Our friends brought us many gifts from Europe, and you can guess that most of these gifts came in the form of food. One of the things we found in our care packages from the west was a bag of spelt flour.

Even though we try to avoid gluten as much as possible, spelt flour is a whole grain, that is easier to digest. Once in a while, we like to make an exception to our no-gluten rule. As long as the grain is an organic, whole, unprocessed grain we don’t see why we can not enjoy these yummy treats.

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BLOOD ORANGE-INFUSED CINNAMON ROLLS

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 14-16 ROLLS)

For the frosting

1½ cups raw cashew nuts, soaked
2 tbsp of blood orange juice
1 tbsp blood orange zest
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup

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For the dough

½ cup cashew milk
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2.5 tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp raw cane sugar
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
½ cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
3-3½ cups spelt flour

FYI: to make about 1 liter of cashew milk, soak 1 cup of cashew nuts in boiling water for about 30 minutes. Drain the cashews. In a high-speed blender, combine the cashew nuts with 4 cups of water. If you like your cashew milk a little creamier, use 3 cups of water instead of 4. Blend on high speed until smooth. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge.

For the cinnamon filling

¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil
¼ cup raw cane sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp cardamom powder
1-1.5 tbsp blood orange zest

DIRECTIONS

Though I bought the blood oranges from an organic fruit and veggie shop in town, to be sure no residues are on the skin, I soaked the blood oranges for 30 minutes in water and vinegar.

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Soak cashew nuts in boiling water for 30 minutes. Add all frosting ingredients to a blender and process until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and let set in the fridge.

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To make the dough, mix the cashew milk, water, yeast, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Then add the sugar, salt, and blood orange juice. Mix well.

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Add the spelt flout to the mixture, ½ cup at a time. Mix/knead well until the dough is elastic and pulls away from the bowl. Oil a bowl and place the dough ball in the middle of the bowl. Cover with a clean towel and proof for about 45 minutes.

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Grease a baking pan. Set aside.

Roll out the dough in a big rectangle on a floured surface. Now it is time to add the filling. In a small bowl, combine the cane sugar, cinnamon powder, cardamon powder, and zest. Spread the coconut oil over the dough and sprinkle with the cinnamon mix.

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Roll the dough into a big log and cut the log into 14-16 smaller rolls. Add the rolls to the greased baking pan and let them rest for another 45 minutes. They will double in size