Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

It's that time of year when we start baking more and more. We use up our supply of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Our homes smell wonderful and our pants get a little snug. So let it begin with these heavenly Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.

(The little white dots are powdered sugar that I didn't mix in well enough.)

If you LOVE cinnamon rolls as much as me, I imagine that these will enter in your repertoire of great recipes. The taste of pumpkin is quite mild as is the addition of wheat flour. The dough turns out soft, the cinnamon is spicy and delicious, and the topping is ubber rich. Yes, I did love this recipe. Now my only "issue" is that I have a tray of them for my husband and I to eat, or as he suggested perhaps we could share a few (hard for me to let go of homemade cinnamon rolls though). Well, and I guess I do have another "issue". I now have quite a bit of left over pumpkin puree. I suppose I'll just have to make something else delicious today, perhaps something like our Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Pumpkin Bread, or our Pumpkin Cookies. (A hard decision to be sure.)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe from everydayfoodstorage.net

Picture by Caroline

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons yeast

¼ cup oil 

¾ cup warm water

½ cup canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

5 – 5½ cups flour (Use at least 1½ C. whole wheat flour)

¼ cup melted or softened butter, to spread on the dough

2 tablespoons cinnamon

½ cup packed brown sugar

Caramel Topping:

(Make this while Cinnamon Rolls are resting or baking.)

¼ cup butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup powdered sugar

pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Mix sugar, yeast, oil, water and pumpkin. Let stand 15 minutes while getting your other ingredients Add eggs, salt, cloves, cinnamon, flour and knead 5 minutes. (Dough may be sticky, make sure you don't add too much flour, a good test is to dip your fingers in flour and touch the dough. If it sticks you need more flour, if it doesn't then it is good. Make sure you spray your hands and counter top with a non-stick spray when you are getting the dough out of your bowl)
2. Roll the dough into a rectangle ¼" thick
3. Combine the butter on dough, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Spread evenly over the dough.
4. Roll up the cinnamon rolls and cut in 1″ thick slices with string or knife.
5. Place rolls on a greased cookie sheet and let rest 15 minutes, or more. 
6. Bake 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. 
7. Meanwhile, make your Caramel Topping by melting the butter in a saucepan. Stir in Brown sugar plus milk and cook on low for 1 minute. Cool slightly (just so it is not HOT) and add vanilla, sugar, and salt. Stir with Wisk until well blended. Drizzle/spread rolls with frosting when they come out of the oven. 
8. Frost, and eat warm. Rolls may be re-warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds.