Pumpkin Spice Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Once a week I drive up to Collingwood for work. It’s almost a 2 hour drive but the breathtaking views and the overload of fall colours make it my favourite commute. On the highway, I drive through rolling hills and patches of thick fog that permeate the air. In the mornings, the sun spills its golden light over towering trees, and they glisten various shades of red, orange, yellow and green, an autumnal rainbow if you will.

I used a recipe I’ve blogged about before, replacing the cinnamon with a pumpkin spice mixture. I was going for sweet rolls jacked up with strong pumpkin spice but the flavours came out meh, instead of pow! Still, the texture is awesome, the dough is easy to handle, as the brown sugar melts, it smells faintly like caramel. The cream cheese frosting moistens the bread just enough and makes my sticky fingers all worth it.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Bon Appetit by Molly Wizenberg

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)

1 teaspoon salt

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2 tablespoons pumpkin spice mix

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Frosting

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

For dough:
Melt butter in milk over small saucepan over medium heat until mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 2½ cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, a sturdy wooden spoon works fine too, it just takes a little more effort) If the dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form into ball. 

Lightly oil a large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. 

For filling:

Mix brown sugar and pumpkin spice mix in a medium bowl. 

Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over butter. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide). 

 Spray a large baking dish with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes. 

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up. 

For frosting:
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread frosting on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.