Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Yield: 9 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes plus rise time

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Dough

1 cup canned pumpkin or squash
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup lukewarm water*
1/4 cup soft butter
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Red Star Quick Rise Yeast or instant yeast

*Adjust the amount of water by the time of year or your climate. For summer, or in a humid environment, use the lesser amount of water. In winter, or in a dry climate, use the greater amount. It's always best to start with the lesser amount; you can always add more. (I needed the full 1/4 cup in my rolls).

For the Filling

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (I used Grade A)
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted (see recipe notes)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients together — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until you've made a soft, fairly smooth dough.
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, until it's almost doubled in bulk.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface. Roll it into a 14" x 22" rectangle; the dough will be pretty thin.
4. Use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter onto the top of the dough. In a medium bowl, mix together the filling ingredients and sprinkle them onto the butter creating an even layer, leaving one short edge free of filling (about 1 inch).
5. Starting with the short end that's covered with filling, roll the dough into a log.
6. Cut the log into nine 1 ½"-thick rolls.
7. Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9" x 9" pan that's at least 2" deep. Set aside, covered, to rise for 1 hour, or until the rolls look puffy.
8. Bake the rolls in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until they're lightly browned and feel set. Remove them from the oven, and set them on a rack. Turn them out of the pan, and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes. Towards the end of the cooling time, make the glaze.
9. To make the glaze: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined and creamy. Feel free to adjust the frosting to meet your needs. If you like a thinner frosting, add in a little milk (start with 1 teaspoon) and slowly increase until you reach the desired consistency. If you want it to be thicker, add in a little more confectioners' sugar.

Notes:

- Feel free to adjust the frosting to meet your needs. If you like a thinner frosting, add in a little milk (start with 1 teaspoon) and slowly increase until you reach the desired consistency.
- The pumpkin puree in these Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls make them a bit more dense when compared to a traditional cinnamon roll.
- According to King Arthur Flour, you can substitute the White Whole Wheat Flour for All-Purpose, you will just need to decrease the amount of water needed by about 2 teaspoons.
- If you are unsure what the dough should look like, definitely check out this post on KAF for an in-depth photo tutorial.
-If you prefer more maple flavor in your frosting, just play around with the proportions until it meets your needs.
-The frosting pictured above is a bit on the thick side because I made it the night before and refrigerated it until the next day. Ideally, it should be a bit thinner.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour via Good Life Eats.