Monday, August 25, 2014

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Cool mornings generally mean that fall is just around the corner, which means that it’s pumpkin time!  I’ve been waiting all year for this-fall is my favorite season.  It’s hard giving up summer, but I think I might just be ready.  But definitely not ready for winter!

Gavin and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary on the 22^nd.  We hiked up Hudson Bay Mountain to the peak and signed the book.  It was a long hike and the day after wasn’t too fun either-but I’m proud that we did it!  It was a beautiful day and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.  We lucked out for sure! {pics below: 1st-we climbed to the first peak on the left! 2nd-us at the top after the book!}

 

The day after the hike we didn’t really do too much-I was a little too sore to move.  But I mustered up the energy to make these darlings and they turned out beautifully.  They are super soft, doughy, and bursting with fall flavor.  To top it all off, I added a maple cream frosting that simply made these to die for!  Be prepared to eat these all in no time!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 12 Cinnamon Buns

INGREDIENTS

for the dough:
2 ¼ teaspoon quick rise yeast
½ cup warm water
½ cup scalded milk
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon clove
1 egg
4 – 5 cups all-purpose flour

for the filling:
½ cup softened butter, plus more for pan
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon clove

for the frosting:
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
3 teaspoon milk
½ teaspoon maple extract

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl or cup, dissolve the yeast in warm water and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the milk, sugar, melted butter, pumpkin puree, spices, salt and egg. Mix until well combined, then add in the yeast & water mixture and combine.

Change the attachment to a dough hook and add 2 cups of flour. Mix until smooth and then add 2 more cups of flour, adding more until the dough is easy to handle and doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes more. Place in a well-greased bowl and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1½ hours.

When the dough has finished rising and doubled in size, punch it down then roll out on a floured surface.  You want to roll to about a 15 X 9 inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the dough. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together then sprinkle on top of the buttered dough. Roll up the dough and cut into 12 equal slices.

Place the roll slices on a bottom of a buttered 13X9 inch baking pan and allow the dough to rise for approximately 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes. Cool.

While the rolls are baking, mix together the frosting ingredients-cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk and maple extract until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve.

Source: adapted from Inspired by Charm