New, Improved Pumpkin Spiced Cinnamon Rolls
These are softer, fluffier, and even more enticing than my original Pumpkin Spiced Cinnamon Rolls.
Servings: 15
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or, use instant yeast)
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup vegetable shortening (or, use softened butter)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- Non-stick vegetable spray (for greasing)
For the cake pans:
- 2 9-inch-diameter cake pans
- 1 tablespoon softened or melted butter for greasing the pans
- 2 tablespoons sugar for dusting the pans
For the filling:
- 6 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/2 cup sugar blended with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground clove.
For the glaze
- 2 cups confectioners sugar and 1/4 cup milk blended with a wire whisk until smooth
Instructions
Making the dough and the first rise:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the water and yeast. Then whisk in the milk, sugar, egg, shortening, salt, puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the flour to form a stiff dough. Spray the work surface and hands with vegetable spray. Transfer the dough to the prepared work surface, and knead the dough until it is fairly smooth and elastic -- 4-5 minutes.
- Wash out, dry, and lightly grease the mixing bowl. Add the kneaded dough, flipping it to grease the other side. Cover the bowl with cling film and let rise in a warm location until doubled in volume -- about 90 minutes.
Preparing the cake pans:
- While the dough is rising, brush the bottom and sides of 2 9-inch-diameter cake pans with softened or melted butter. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to each pan, tapping the pan so that the sugar spreads all along the bottom. You need not sugar the sides of the pans.
- Filing and forming the rolls, and the second rise:
- Lightly spray the work surface with vegetable spray. Punch down the dough, and transfer it to the prepared surface. Pat the dough into a rough rectangle, and then lightly dust the top with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 9- by 15-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the 6 tablespoons of softened butter, and then top with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Working from the 15 inch side, roll the dough into a log. Then cut the log into 15 1-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to the cake pans, reforming them into round shapes if necessary.
- Cover the pans with cling film, and place them in a warm location until the rolls double in volume -- 30-45 minutes. Midway through rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Baking and glazing the rolls:
- Remove the cling film from pans. Bake until the rolls puff and their tops color just slightly -- about 25 minutes. While the rolls are still hot, spoon or pour the glaze over them.