Pumpkin Cinnamon and Walnut Rolls

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My mom made the best cinnamon rolls hands down!

They were warm, sweet, buttery rolls, that were flaky and just melted in your mouth.

I must have eaten a ton of cinnamon rolls by the time my adult years arrived.

Many a morning was spent running and tripping up those stairs from my basement bedroom, to opening the door right into the kitchen, where I was immediately hit with the smell of the cinnamon roll baking, the sounds of mom in the kitchen, and all that warmth that wrapped around me like a soft blanket.

It was our ritual to have a freshly baked roll before I went off to playdates, or school, or morning band practice, and finally a full time job when those almost adult years were upon me.

You see I was what was called a late bloomer, I had a room in the basement and this became my haven, it was full of very little responsibility. I liked to spend as much “down” time as possible in the basement, reading or writing or dreaming my days away, little did I know what was really going on upstairs in the kitchen.

As the years went along like someone whistling a familiar tune, so did I, to this job and that ,to this boyfriend and that one, yet always returning back to that basement with the lack of responsibility calling my name.

One morning I had the sudden urge to go walk around the block walk before heading off to work, I trudged up those basement stairs, opened the door into the kitchen , the familiar sounds and smells immediately greeted me, and the warmth wrapped me in that familiar blanket of baking luv.

I stood at the top of the stairs and cracked open the door a bit to watch  Mom just hum about her morning routine, checking the oven to see if the rolls were done.

I took immense pride in the morning baking ritual and the morning eating ritual too, pride that my very own mom was a baking goddess and could day after day make the a very consistent dough for her rolls, although she had a secret weapon in using frozen store bought dough!

When the knowledge of the dough was finally made public to the family, at that moment I was shocked and amazed, however it didn’t make me luv the rolls or my mom any less in the end.

Many years have passed since those days at the kitchen table. I believe that is part of the reason, I now luv to bake.

I have a strong appreciation for anyone that can day after day make excellent rolls, pastries, buns, and cake.  I also admire my mom for taking the time to feed us, and making sure that she could give us something warm and delicious as we all headed out each day to take another step on our journey.

Admittingly I bought a bag of pre-made frozen dough, and found myself making cinnamon rolls the same way. It was quick and easy, and gave us all something for breakfast we could take and eat in the car.

One day as I watched that store bought dough unfold to perfection I began to question, why couldn’t I “make bread dough from scratch!”

I began experimenting thru the years with different kinds of doughs, there were many that failed and a few that were complete success.

The best recipe I created for a cinnamon rolls is the Pumpkin Cinnamon and Walnut Roll.

Sweet, moist, tender, full of pumpkin , spice , sugars, and walnuts, all rolled into perfectly shaped spirals, and baked to perfection.

The biggest issue I have with these recipes is that when I bake a pan, I tend to eat it all, morning, noon and oops, night..

Enjoy.

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Cinnamon and Walnut Rolls

Author: Long Ears Farm Cooking Method: Baking, Oven Baked Cuisine: American, rolls Courses: breakfast

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 18 mins Total Time 33 mins

Servings: 6

Description

Sweet, moist, tender, full of pumpkin , spice , sugars, and walnuts, all rolled into perfectly shaped spirals, and baked to perfection.

Ingredients

Servings

• ¹⁄₂ cup milk (warm to 110 degrees)
• 6 tbsp butter
• 2 ¹⁄₄ active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 3 ¹⁄₂ cup all purpose flour
• ¹⁄₄ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
• ¹⁄₄ cup sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin pie filling
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tbsp oil (to coat the bowl with)

Instructions

1. Prepare dough

   Add butter to pan and brown it, once brown remove from heat and Set aside.

   Foam the yeast by adding the warm milk and yeast packet
   In your mixer bowl combine the flour, and sugars, add spices.

   To the dry mixture fold in ¼ cup browned butter.

   Slowly add in the yeast mixture do not over stir once combined add the, pumpkin and egg. Mix well by hand.

    

2. Rise Dough

   You will now attach your dough hook and mix for 5 minutes at low speed, making sure not to over work the dough

   You may also do this step by hand and work the dough mixture until well blended, do not over knead.

   Transfer the dough mixture to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap.

   You may heat your oven to 170 for 5 mins, turn it off and let the heat dissipate.
   You may now add your covered dough bowl to the warm oven, let rise for about 1.5hrs, until the dough is doubled in size.

    

3. Form the rolls

   Once your dough is done proofing, remove from bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface, punch down the dough.

   Roll out into a rectangle shape as large you want it.

   In a bowl combine 3/4 cup brown sugar light or dark
   1/2 cup white sugar
   1/8 tsp salt
   3 T cinnamon
   1 T nutmeg
   1 cup walnuts toasted and chopped

   Brush the dough with butter and sprinkle on the filling mixture

   Roll the dough tightly lengthwise.

4. Cut the rolls

   Using a thread or thin string, slide under the end of the rolled dough.

   Pull up to the middle and cut the dough into about 2 inch pieces.

    

5. Bake the Rolls

   As you cut, place each roll piece laid flat into your greased 9x13 pan.

   When all the dough is cut, and placed in pan.

   Set the pan back into the still warm over to rise about 1 hour.

   When the rolls have doubled in size.

   You may now bake them in  18-20mins in a 350 oven