Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Make all the jokes you want, but fall is definitely the best season. The only downside of fall is that school is back in session so traffic can be a real B, but school means high school and college football season is back. It also means that it won't be a hundred million degrees outside (I know I complain about this a lot - sorry). Apple picking at orchards. Hot apple cider, apple cider pops, spiked cider, apple pies, just baking in general, cute outfits, football season, football food, Thanksgiving - I could go on for days about how much I love fall.

I also haven't baked for fun in a long time, I just get burnt out with it. For some reason Sunday was the day of pushing past all of that and baking all of the things. I baked pies, muffins, and these pumpkin cinnamon rolls. My apartment was transformed into a full on bakery. Good thing my coworkers like to eat because there's a lot of baked goods that need to be put away.

These pumpkin rolls are a nice fall twist on cinnamon rolls and I can't wait to play around with different flavors to turn into rolls.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Dough
1/3 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 and 1/4 teaspoons (1 standard package) instant yeast2
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting.

Filling
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoons whole milk
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

Make the dough:
Warm the milk and butter together until the butter is barely melted and milk is warm to the touch and set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or bowl with stiff spatula, beat the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt together on medium speed. Stir in the warmed milk mixture and beat until combined, then beat in the egg and yeast. Slowly add in 1 cup of flour and mix until well incorporated. Add in remaining flour and mix until the flour just disappears into the dough. The dough will be very soft.

Place dough into a greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Once doubled, gently punch the dough down to deflate it and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few times so it is smooth. If it is too sticky, knead in a little more flour. Roll the dough out into a 18X10 inch rectangle and make the filling.

Make the filling:
Mix together all the ingredient for the filling and spread it evenly on top of the dough, making sure to evenly spread it across the whole surface.

Make the rolls:
Take the dough and roll it into a tight log. Using a very sharp knife, cut into 12 pieces, about 1.5 inches each. Arrange rolls into a greased 11x9 inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise again in a warm, draft-free environment until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 22-28 minutes, until a nice golden brown color. Let cool slightly before adding the icing.

Make the Frosting:
Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the maple syrup and milk and beat on high until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat on medium speed until creamy. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!