The Vintage Pillsbury Recipe You Can Still Make With Canned Cinnamon Rolls

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For decades, Pillsbury has blessed us with a plethora of baking recipes. Although some instructions have been overshadowed through time, every now and then, a vintage Pillsbury recipe gets unearthed, and we obsess over it all over again. The resurrection of said recipes is always exciting, especially when they're like jam circles, a treat that can be made with modern ingredients.

Found in a Pillsbury cookbook of prize-winning recipes from 1959, jam circles are a simple, yet delicious dessert that had to be all the rage upon release. Though they only consist of two ingredients, the jam circles have stood the test of time as an intriguing dessert. They're made with canned cinnamon rolls, and the recipe instructs for the center of each roll to be hollowed out. In their place, a dollop of jelly or jam is put in, giving the dessert a spiced jelly donut type of feel.

Once each cinnamon roll center is filled with the fruity preserves, they're baked at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 14 to 16 minutes, allowing the centers to turn gooey and thick. After baking, icing is spread onto the surface of the rolls, and the sticky-sweet desserts are served warm. The treat is a creative way to make use of canned cinnamon rolls, as well as a way to experiment with all kinds of fruit jam flavors.

The Pillsbury dessert is reminiscent of a strawberry jelly donut, but the recipe doesn't call for any specific type of jam flavor. It only says to fill the hollowed cinnamon rolls with tart jelly or jam, which definitely stands out amidst the warm, spiced treats. Although easy strawberry jam would taste delicious with the rolls, there are more dynamic flavors to pair with the dessert.

Cranberry chia jam provides the perfect dose of tartness to the cinnamon rolls, and the cozy flavor of both the wintry cranberries and spiced dessert are a match made in heaven. The jam features cinnamon and maple syrup, which definitely adds to the hearty taste. However, it's the splash of freshly-squeezed orange juice that provides a warm yet bright flavor that complements the cinnamon rolls.

If you prefer something a little more sweet, fill up your cinnamon rolls with vanilla blackberry jam. The berries are cooked down with sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon, infusing the jam with a smooth, honeyed taste. Vanilla blackberry jam works well with the cinnamon roll's cream cheese icing, but given the berries' depth, opting for bourbon-glazed cinnamon rolls elevates the combination. Although the blackberry jam is slightly tart, it has a richness that allows it to stand beside the spiced, boozy bourbon glaze without being overshadowed.