Sunday, November 6, 2011

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

 

So I have a line up of baked items waiting to be posted on. I've been busy baking. Like a lot. Generally I just gradually make my way through posting them, but occasionally I get excited about one recipe in particular.

This one's cutting the line. It's worth it. I'm excited. You should be excited. Let's all be excited.

IMG_2234

A week or so ago I wanted to find out what it would be like to make my own pumpkin puree. I went and bought a pumpkin, scrape it out, baked it, scooped out the meat (...why is it called meat? Does anyone else get gross images??), tried to blenderize it, realized I need a food processor, tried  to smash it with a spoon,realized I need at least a potato masher. Finally the result of the hour + long process was maybe 4 cups of slightly lumpy pumpkin.

If you couldn't tell, I realized making your own pumpkin purée is not worth the effort.

Regardless I was left with a lot of pumpkin on my hands so I've been searching around for some good pumpkin recipe. I made pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie oatmeal, and then I found this recipe.

With a gentle nudge from my darling roommate Kai, I was convinced to set out on my first journey into the world of cinnamon rolls.Pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

Oh. My. God.

Seriously? Who comes up with these things! It's just as it sounds. Pumpkin pie and cinnamon roll love child.

Delicious delicious love child.

totally worth the effort.

 IMG_2212

Does this not look like a monster??

It comes down to being a yeast bread made with pumpkin, rolled out and smeared with a brown sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice mixture, rolled up and baked until the kitchen smells like heaven (or pumpkin pie). Oh and topped with glaze. Obviously.

Halfway through baking these I had a realization. I don't know what I'm going to do when my friends get into their mid-thirties and their metabolisms start slowing down. I'm going to be blamed for making people fat.

I'll have to make some new twenty-something friends.

Until then. It's November, it's almost Thanksgiving. It's time for pumpkin. Find someone you want to impress and do it.

UH-Mazing

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls 

Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles (adorable name right? Great blog)

Dough:
4-4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
⅓ cup  sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Filling:
¾ cup packed  light brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (Do people really buy pumpkin pie spice? I used a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg...I also don't measure)
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter

Glaze:
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners sugar, sifted to remove lumps
1 ounce cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Notes: As stated, I just make up the spice amount until I like it. Use mostly cinnamon. I believe in you, you can do it. Don't over do it though.

I ended up making more filling (filling is awesome) by about another 1/2 tbs butter and another 1/4 cup sugar.

I have no idea what one ounce of cream cheese looks like so I just took a big spoonful. I also think 1 cup of sugar is wayyy too much, so I slowly added more until it tasted right.

Here we go, directions time.

Mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl (use a stand mixer if you have one). In a separate bowl, mix the eggs with pumpkin and oil. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the try ones and continue mixing until a dough forms. On a floured surface, kneed the dough until elastic and soft (maybe 10 minutes?) adding flour as necessary. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not sticking to the counter. Let dough rise in a oiled bowl in  a warm dry place until doubled (1.5-2 hours...ish?)

IMG_2214

Mix filling ingredients in a bowl.

When dough has doubled, punch down and turn out into a lightly floured surface. Roll dough out (using your wine bottle rolling pin!! ...or a real one) to a 16 by 12 inch rectangle. Spread filling out over dough.

IMG_2219Roll dough starting from the long side into a log pinching dough with fingertips as you go. You should have roughly a 16 inch log when you are finished.

Cut log into 2-3inch pieces and place in a greased baking pan.

IMG_2222

Cover and let rise until doubled, about another 1 - 1.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

IMG_2225

While rolls are cooling, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour over rolls and serve!

IMG_2232

Several more notes: my rolls failed at rising so I ended up preheating the oven with them in it. It seemed to work.

I don't remember what my other note was....just have fun?

Oh fun story. I was trying to use up my pumpkin with this recipe. Turns out I didn't have enough of it left to make this recipe, so I ended up cracking a can of pumpkin. Sigh. Expect more pumpkin recipes.

-Leah