Pumpkin-Filled Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

It was a gorgeous, bright and chilly fall day and I happened to have the entire day to myself.  What did I do with my free time?  I spent the majority of it in the kitchen, of course!  I had chili planned for dinner and I decided on these pumpkin-filled cinnamon rolls for dessert.  I love these rolls and so do my family.  My daughter dubbed them amazing and my husband called dibs on them for breakfast this week.  They are soft, fluffy and the pumpkin filling pairs wonderfully with my favorite cream cheese glaze.

Ingredients:
Yields 12


Dough

• 1 c warm milk
• 1 tbsp dry active yeast
• 1/3 c white sugar
• 1/3 c brown sugar 
• 1/2 c butter, softened 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp orange zest 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 4 1/4 c (up to 5 c) all-purpose flour 

Pumpkin Filling

• 3/4 c pumpkin puree 
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 c butter, softened 

Cream Cheese Glaze
Glaze by epicurious

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened 
• 1/4 c butter, softened 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1 c confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the warm milk and yeast.  When the mixture becomes bubbly, add the white sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, orange zest and 4 1/4 c of the flour.  Mix the dough with your hands (or in a mixer with the hook fitting) until it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, adding more flour as needed.  Knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a large greased bowl.  Cover and allow it to rise in a dark, warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and punch it down.  Roll the dough out and shape it into a 22-inch x 16-inch rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick.  

Make the pumpkin filling. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.  Spread the softened butter evenly on top of the dough and then spread the pumpkin mixture evenly on top of the dough, leaving 1 inch on all sides untouched.  

Starting at one of the shorter ends of the dough, roll it up from one end to the other as tightly as you can and seal the edges together.  Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces.  Place the rolls cut-side down on a greased 12 x 9 baking sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between each roll.  Cover the baking dish and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes in a dark, warm place.  

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar over all.  Bake the cinnamon rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.  Allow the rolls to cool completely.

Make the cream cheese glaze.  In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar.  Drizzle the glaze liberally on top of the rolls.  Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top, if desired.

Enjoy!