CINNAMON AND APPLE ROLLS

 

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 3.5 cups All Purpose or Bread Flour
• 3/4 cup Warm (approx. 110°F) Whole Milk (or other milk of choice)
• 1/2 cup Warm (approx. 110°F) Water
• 1/3 cup Avocado Oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 1/4 tsp (or 1 packet) Quick Rise or Instant Yeast
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup (or more Coconut Sugar)

For the Filling

• 4 Apples, peeled, cored and diced small
• 3/4 cup Coconut Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp room temperature (softened) Butter
• 1/3 cup Water
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ginger
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 oz. (softened) Cream Cheese
• 4 oz. room temperature (softened) Butter
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• Splash of Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Make the Filling: In a bowl, combine the coconut sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Remove 4 tablespoons and set the rest aside until ready to use. Heat up 1 tbsp of butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the diced apples and water and cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes. Add the removed 4 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar mixture to the apples and toss to coat. Cook an additional couple of minutes, until the sugar has melted and the apples are starting to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool as you make the dough.
   
2. Make the Dough: Add 2 cups of flour, yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer (you can also do this part by hand, if you wish). Using a dough hook, mix until well combined.
   
3. Add the warm milk and water, maple syrup and oil and blend until combined and smooth, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl, if needed.
   
4. Knead in the remaining flour, a little at a time, until a nice and soft dough forms and it stops clinging to the edges of the bowl. Be careful not to add too much or your rolls will come out dry and hard. Use your hands to form it into a smooth circular ball, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
   
5. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle some more flour on top. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a large rectangle (it doesn't have to be perfect but try and get it as even and stretched out as possible).
   
6. Do your best to spread the softened butter all over the rolled out dough. I find the easiest way to do this is to cut it into very thin slices, lay them out evenly over the dough then use a knife or back of a spoon to gently spread them out. The butter doesn't have to cover every square inch of the dough, just do the best you can. Add the remaining sugar/spice mixture over top, being sure to cover the entire surface. Then add the cooled apples in an even layer over top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges to account for the shifting/moving of the filling.
   
7. Starting with the long end of the rectangle, roll the dough into as tight of a log as you can get it. This might be the part where you start cursing my name as the filling will try to escape out of the edges and make a sticky watery mess. Just try your best to keep it all in there. The mess will be worth it, I promise. Once you've got your dough rolled into a log, use a knife or piece of unflavoured dental floss (highly recommend) to slice the rolls into 12 even pieces. I find the easiest way to do this is by cutting the log in half to start and then cutting each piece into 6 even rolls from there.
   
8. Place the rolls on a greased and parchment lined 9x13 baking sheet (can also use a glass baking dish for this). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
   
9. Set the oven rack to the center and preheat to 350°. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the edges are browned and golden and the centers slightly underbaked and gooey. Be careful not to overbake or your rolls will be hard and dense.
   
10. Make the Frosting: In a bowl, blend the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla until well combined. Spread evenly over slightly cooled rolls. Enjoy!