Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

This past weekend I made pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Delicious. Next time around, I will make double the icing and add some cream cheese to make it a tad more creamy.

Baking bread had always been a daunting task for me. It just seemed like such a delicate process. And it kind of is. But my mother-in-law showed me numerous times how to get the right feel of the dough. Thank goodness I was able to have an example and I credit my success, in part, to her.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

*1 envelope (1/4 oz) active dry yeast

*1/4 cup warm water

*1 tsp. plus 2 tbsp. sugar

*2 eggs

*1/4 cup unsalted butter

*1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

*5 1/2 cups flour

*3/4 tsp. salt

Filling:

*1/2 cup unsalted butter

*1/4 cup sugar

*1 cup brown sugar

*1 tbsp. cinnamon

*1/2 tsp. nutmeg

*1/2 tsp. cloves

Glaze:

*2 cups powdered sugar

*3 tbsp. milk

Instructions:

*Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl. Add 1 tsp. of sugar and let stand for about 5 minutes until foamy. Beat in remaining sugar, eggs, butter and pumpkin.

*Slowly add 5 cups of the flour and salt and mix until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead the remaining 1/2 cup of flour into the mixture. (I do this in my Kitchenaid, not by hand). Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and soft.

*Grease bowl, add dough. Cover with plastic wrap (or plastic grocery bag) and let rise until doubled for about 1 1/4 hour.

*Coat 2 13x9 pans (or cover baking stone with wax paper). Make the filling by mixing all ingredients together.

*Once dough is doubled, punch down and roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle (16x10 inches) Spread the filling over the entire rectangle and roll up, like a jelly roll. Pinch seams closed.

*Cut each log crosswise into 12 generous rolls, you can also use dental floss to 'pinch' off the rolls too. Google it.

*Let the rolls rise again, until doubled in size for about 45 minutes in the pans. Cover with a large plastic bag.

*Heat oven to 350 and bake rolls for 28-33 minutes .

*Mix glaze ingredients and spread over rolls after they've briefly cooled

YUM!