Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

1/2  cup		milk
1/2  cup		butter
2-1/4  teaspoons		envelope instant (“rapid rise”) yeast
3-1/2  cups		all purpose flour
1/2  cup		granulated sugar
2  tablespoons		pumpkin pie spice
1/2  teaspoon		fine sea salt
3/4  cup		pumpkin purée
1		egg
1/4  cup		packed brown sugar
1  tablespoon		ground cinnamon

Tip: For nutritional information on all the ingredients in Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls just click on each ingredient name. Then adjust the serving size for any Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls ingredient with the serving size tool in the nutrition facts area to the right to see how you can save calories, carbs and more.

Heat 1/4 C. milk and 1/4 C. butter. Combine milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute, then remove and stir to help melt and dissolve the butter. Continue heating in 20 second intervals, pausing after each to stir, until the butter is melted and the milk is warm but not hot to the touch. (I recommend measuring the temperature with a cooking thermometer. It should be around 110°F.) If the mixture is too hot, it can kill the yeast, so just wait a few minutes until it reaches the correct temperature.

Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour (not all of the flour), 1/4 C. granulated sugar, 1 T. pumpkin pie spice, and salt until combined.

Mix the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer* fitted with the dough-hook attachment, add the warm milk mixture and sprinkle the yeast on top, then give the mixture a brief stir. Add the flour mixture, pumpkin purée and egg, and beat on medium-low speed until combined. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to form a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl (usually 3 1/4 C. does it for me). (The dough will still be moist and slightly sticky though.) Continue kneading for 5 minutes on low speed. Then let it rest in the mixing bowl for 10 minutes.

Mix the cinnamon-sugar filling. While the dough rests, make your filling by whisking together 1/4 C. granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and 1 T. pumpkin pie spice together in a small mixing bowl until combined.

Roll out the dough. Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured work surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 10 x 15 inches in size. (If you want all of the edges to be even, you can use a pizza slicer to cut the dough into an even rectangle.) Spread 1/4 cup of the melted butter out evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. It will seem like a ton of butter and sugar, but trust me, it comes out just right!

Roll up the dough. Beginning at the 15-inch edge, tightly roll up the dough and give the final seam a little pinch so that it seals. I then pat the two ends inward, to make the roll a little more compact and even in diameter.

Slice. Use a piece of dental floss* or a knife to slice off the two ends of the roll (just 1/2-inch or so on each end, since the ends typically don’t have as much cinnamon and sugar filling, which you can discard) so that the ends are even. Cut the remaining dough into 12 equal rounds.

Let the dough rise. Place each of the cut cinnamon rolls into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover the dish with a damp towel, and leave it in a warm place to rise for 25-90 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F.

Make the frosting. While the dough is rising, whisk the maple cream cheese frosting ingredients together in a mixing bowl until smooth. If the frosting seems too thick, add in an extra tablespoon of milk at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If it is too thin, add in extra powdered sugar.

Bake. Once the rolls have risen, uncover the dish and place it on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and cooked through (broil for last 2 minutes - no more - to brown). Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let the rolls cool for at least 5 minutes.

Frost. Drizzle or spread with the maple cream cheese frosting, serve warm and enjoy!