Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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Homemade Cinnamon Rolls.  Better yet, homemade pumpkin cinnamon rolls.  Can we say....yummmmmmo! While looking at the Taste of Home Website, I came across this recipe.  I have lots of pumpkin puree to use up from last year, so I figured I would give it a try.   

  I cannot think of a more delicious and comforting treat to eat in the mornings.  There is something so homey and inviting everytime someone makes a batch of cinnamon rolls.  It doesn't matter if it comes from the can or comes from mama's own hands, once these babies are in the oven, your sense of smell takes over and you start to get that warm and fuzzy feeling.  Pair this with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and it's like you have died and gone to cinnamon roll heaven!  Am I alone on this one?  I sure hope not :)

These rolls are r-e-m-a-r-k-a-b-l-e!!  They are so remarkable that even before the first rising cycle, you can start to smell the spices of the pumpkin and yeast.  And yes, I have to admit that before I started to make these, the recipe itself made me feel intimidated.  I took one look at the ingredients after I printed it out and started panicking.  Just by reading it, it looked complicated. 

However, if it's one thing I love, it's a challenge in the kitchen.  I decided that I wouldn't let this recipe get the better of me and pushed forward with making it.  I am glad that I did too!  I made a few changes to the recipe by taking the advice of other readers and adding some pumpkin pie spice to the mix.  I also changed the method of how yeast was mixed in the beginning.  Despite these two changes, I followed the rest of the recipe down to a T, with the end results being out of this world!  The rolls were so moist and soft that they actually would fall apart when I went to serve them.  Now that is what I call success! 

Word of caution:  Do not make these if you and you alone plan to eat them and if you are on a weight loss plan.  Even though they taste awesome, they are 379 calories per roll!  We ended up eating one each and flash freezing the rest without the frosting.  You may also want to make these on a day when you have lots of free time.  They are VERY time consuming, but well worth the effort ;)

Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

(adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1 cup shortening

1 cup canned pumpkin or 1 cup homemade pumpkin puree

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix

1/3 cup instant butterscotch pudding mix

1 teaspoon salt

7 to 8 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients for filling:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice

Ingredients for icing:

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

For the Rolls

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Combine 1 cup of milk with a 1/2 cup of water in a microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave on medium-high heat for 1 minute and 15 seconds. Take it out of the microwave and place in a large mixing bowl.

Next, take 1/2 cup of sugar and place it in the mixing bowl. Stir until the sugar is well combined with the liquid.  After the sugar is well mixed, take 2 tbsp. of yeast and mix it with the liquid.  Let the yeast mixture sit for 10 minutes...giving it a chance to get nice and poofy.

After the 10 minutes, mix the rest of the ingredients (except for the flour), into the liquid. Mix until well combined.  Next, add 6 cups of flour, one at a time.  Keep mixing until it forms into a ball.  Take the ball out of the bowl, place on a floured surface, and knead for about 6-8 minutes.

Place the ball of dough into a glass bowl, coated with oil, being sure to flip it over once to get an even coat of oil on all sides.  Cover bowl with a dish towel. Let it sit in a warm, dark place for a good hour or so.  I like to place mine on top of the preheated oven/stove.

While the dough is rising, take a glass baking pan or any other kind of baking pan and cover the bottom and sides with some butter. Sprinkle a good amount of sugar over the butter afterwards.

For the Filling

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice for the filling into a bowl.  After the hour is up, take the rising dough and punch it down.

Take the dough out of the bowl, cut it in half, and spread one half on a lightly floured surface.  Roll it into a 12x8 inch rectangle.  Melt 1/4 cup of butter.  Brush half of the melted butter on the dough.  Sprinkle the dough with half of the sugar mixture, within 1/2 inch of the edges.

Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Cut each into 12 slices. Place cut side down into the greased pans.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350° for 22-28 minutes or until golden brown. 

For the Frosting

Combine all the ingredients for the frosting.  Spread onto the baked rolls.  Serve warm ;)

To freeze: Do not spread the frosting ontop of the baked rolls.  Flash freeze the unfrosted rolls individually or freeze the whole baking dish.  To flash freeze, take apart each roll seperately and place them on a cookie sheet.  Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and freeze for about 3-4 hours.  Once frozen, take the rolls, place in a freezer bag, and store in freezer until ready to defrost.

To Defrost:  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Take out rolls and place in oven to warm up.....about 10-15 minutes.  If defrosting individually, take individual rolls out and place them on a cookie sheet.  Place the cookie sheet in the oven to warm up.

Frost as directed. 

I am entering this for Potluck Sunday over at Mommy's Kitchen.  When you get a chance, head on over there and see what everyone else is cooking this weekend ;)