Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

The weather has been cooling off and I just want it to stay warm for a little while longer! But fall is coming, and with that, fall flavors. Let me introduce to you my Apple Butter Cinnamon Roll. Normal cinnamon rolls are sprinkled with butter and cinnamon sugar before being rolled up, this version will have you spread apple butter over the dough before you roll it.  I love mashing two desserts into one. For this dish, think cinnamon rolls meet apple pie! You may think to yourself, where has this combination been all my life? I certainly did. I recommend using a red variety of apple because it’ll produce red apple butter! Since the color comes from the peel, green apples will yield brown (still delicious) and red apples will yield red!

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Yield 14-18 rolls

Dough

Dry active yeast 2 ¼ tsp (1 package)

Milk 1 cup

Sugar ½ cup

Butter, soft 6 T

Salt 1 tsp

Eggs 2

Ap flour 2 cups

Bread flour 2 cups

Apple Butter Filling

Red apples 1 lb.

Water 1 ¼ cup

Brown sugar ½ cup

Sugar 2 T

Cinnamon 1 ½ tsp

Ginger ½ tsp

Allspice ¼ tsp

Apple cider vinegar ¼ cup

Lemon juice 1 T

Cream Cheese Icing

Butter, soft 6 T

Cream cheese, soft 6 T

Powdered sugar, sifted 1 ½ cups

Vanilla ½ tsp

Directions:

Make the apple butter first. Cut and core apples, but leave the peels on. Place them into a small sauce pot with the remaining ingredients. Simmer and let the apples cook in the liquid for about 45 min to 1 hour. Once the liquid has cooked out and it appears syrupy, transfer to a food processor or a blender and process until smooth. Cool in the refrigerator while preparing the dough.

To make the dough, first microwave the milk for 30-45 seconds. Sprinkle over the dry yeast and a pinch of sugar and let it activate for 5 minutes. It should froth up.

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Next, pour the yeast mixture in your mixing bowl and add half the flour. Mix on low with a paddle attachment. Add 1 egg.

Switch to the dough hook. Add remaining flour mixture and the second egg.

Dough should look dry. Once second egg is combined, start adding bits of the butter a little at a time until thoroughly combined.

Continue to knead with dough hook for 3 minutes then remove from mixer and place in a large greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place somewhere warm with no drafts or breezes.

Let this proof for 45 minutes. Dough should double in size.

Next, sprinkle some flour on your work surface and roll out the proofed dough to about 10”x18”.

Spread the apple filling over, leaving 1/2” from the sides clean.

Next, starting from the bottom, roll as tightly as you can until it is all rolled up.

The ABSOLUTE best way to cut pieces of dough is to use a flavorless piece of dental floss and tighten around the rolled dough. They come off much cleaner than if you were to use a perfectly sharp knife. Cut off 1 1/2“ pieces, you should get around 14. Place them in 2 cake pans, or on a cookie sheet to proof again.

Proof for 1 hour in a warm area, no drafts, covered. Rolls with puff up, and that’s when you know to bake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the sides.

While the rolls are baking, make the glaze.

Place the softened cream cheese and the softened butter in a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. Paddle together until smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla, scrape down sides, and continue to paddle on high until soft and fluffy.

Once rolls are out of oven, immediately brush on as much of the cream cheese glaze as you possibly can- there will be extra so you can put more on individual pieces.. you’re welcome.