Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

If there was ever an indicator for how overdue I am to throw on my apron and get my hands dirty in the kitchen, it's the ever-growing pile of "Must-Try" recipes that has literally taken over my kitchen table as of late. I'm telling you, the itch to grab the nearest wooden spoon and a bag of flour is starting to get unbearable. I think it's time.

In an attempt to try and restore some order to my poor tabletop last night, I took on the task of sorting through my recipe piles and simultaneously came across this little gem: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Uhmm-- hello deliciousness.

What a perfect recipe to dive into to get me back on track :)

The recipe below (from the wonderfully talented Katie Goodman over at Good Life Eats) has gotten some rave reviews and I think I'm going to have to give it a try this weekend. Plus, with friends coming into town, I'll have the perfect group to share these tasty treats with-- hooray!

Happy baking!


Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
(Makes approx. 15-16 rolls)

Ingredients
Dough-
1/4 cup warm water (not hot, about 110 degrees)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm milk
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup pumpkin puree, either fresh or canned
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 cups (approx.) All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 tsp. ground cardamom
Filling-
1 stick butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. each of allspice and ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting-
4 oz. cream cheese
1 stick (4 oz.) butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. lemon juice
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Stir yeast into water to soften in a large bowl. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before stirring to combine. Stir in the milk, eggs, pumpkin, butter, 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom to yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. 

Slowly add the rest of the flour (all purpose), 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 let rise until doubled. Approx. 1 hour.

Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in another bowl, set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16"x12" rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough and then sprinkle with the sugar mixture. 

Roll the dough into a log the long way; it'll stretch to about 20 inches. Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 15 slices. (Rinse the blade in hot water and wipe off between slices to help reduce drag!) Place slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled. About 45 min. 

Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven. Bake the rolls till they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center. Approx. 20-30 min. 

While the rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Add the cream cheese, vanilla, butter, and lemon juice to a small food processor. Blend until smooth and combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until well mixed and desired consistency is reached. (Approx. 2 cups of powdered sugar).

Frost warm rolls and serve immediately!

(For prep  the night before-- Prepare the rolls up to they are placed in the pan. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove from fridge & note that rising time may be slightly longer do to the dough being cooler than room temperature.)