PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS

Filed under Breads
Ingredients
Roll Dough:
1/4 cup warm water
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm milk
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
1 tablespoon melted butter
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (approximately)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Filling:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, very soft
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions
Stir yeast into water to soften in a large bowl; let rest for 5 minutes.  Stir in the milk, eggs, pumpkin, butter, 1 1/4 cups of the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg into the yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.  Slowly add the rest of the flour, a bit at a time, until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Begin with 1 1/2 cups of flour and increase if necessary. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Place the dough into a greased bowl. Turn the dough in the bowl to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and rise until doubled, approximately 1 hour.

Make the filling by combining the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a another bowl, set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface and roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over dough and then sprinkle with the sugar and spice mixture.

Starting with a long end, roll the dough into a log--it will be about 20 inches long by the time you are done rolling.  Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 15 slices, about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Place slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan (or in two 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pans). Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until the rolls are brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20-25minutes.

While rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until the desired consistency is reached.   Remove rolls from oven and frost immediately with the cream cheese frosting.

Let's Dish
I don't go to the trouble of making homemade cinnamon rolls very often.  I'm quite content with the frozen version that you rise and bake.  But those don't come in pumpkin flavor, which is why I'm willing to put in the time and effort to make these.  I think I might like them even more than regular cinnamon rolls.  My husband, who claims to dislike all pumpkin desserts (he can't get over the fact that there's squash in his dessert) couldn't stop raving about these.  If you want to prepare these the night before, you can cover the unrisen rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight. In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge and follow the instructions where you left off.  Just note that your rising time might be slightly longer because the rolls will be cold.

Who Dished It Up First
Adapted from Good Life Eats

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