Cinnamon Apple Rolls

Cinnamon apple rolls are a huge hit over at our house. Tart apples are the best for this recipe, to compliment the brown sugar and cinnamon. We like to drizzle, or should we say dollop a big heaping spoon of cream cheese frosting over these cinnamon apple rolls for the full effect of goodness.

You will want to start the dough when you get up to allow to proof. Once you roll them out, fill them and slice them you can let them rise while you go to the grocery store, or relax and read the paper.

Although you can make these into 24 small rolls, we like to make them into 12 oversized rolls, and smother them with cream cheese frosting. Any pan will work for these. If you prefer a flatter round roll you can place them apart from each other on a sheet pan. You can then thin the frosting and drizzle them over the top. We like how they puff up in a pan like this and they easily cut apart.

Cinnamon Apple Rolls

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Total Time: 3 hours hours

Course: baking

Cuisine: American, baking

Keyword: apple, baking, cinnamon rolls

Servings: 12 small rolls

Calories: 949kcal

Author: Bruce and Dina Miller

Equipment

• 1 Baking Dish
• large mixing bowl
• small bowl
• Spatular
• Plastic Wrap

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 1 ½ cup warm milk about 110 degrees F
• 4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 9 Tbls salted butter melted and cooled
• 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vegatable oil

For the Filling:

• 2 sticks butter softened but not melted
• 3 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 5 Tbls cinnamon
• 2 cups apples cubed
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

For the Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup salted butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tbls heavy cream or half and half

Instructions

For the Cinnamon Roll Dough:

• Whisk the yeast into the warm milk and let stand for 3-4 minutes. 
  1 ½ cup warm milk, 4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
• Mix flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk eggs and butter into milk mixture. Pour wet ingredients over the dry and blend until the dough comes together. A firm rubber spatula or plastic bench scraper works well. 
  6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 eggs at room temperature
• Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and gently knead until the dough is firm but still a little sticky. This should take about 3-4 minutes. 
• Lightly coat a large bowl with vegetable oil. Place the dough into the oiled bowl and cover with a moist dish towel. Set the bowl in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size about 1 hour. 
  1 teaspoon vegatable oil

Prepare filling:

• Prepare the filling by mixing the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Core and peel apples. Cut into bite. size cubes. (do not do this till you are ready to roll up the cinnamon rolls, or the apples will turn brown)
  3 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, 5 Tbls cinnamon

Roll out cinnamon rolls:

• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle. Spread the softened butter onto the dough. I like to use my hands. 
  2 sticks butter softened but not melted
• Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the butter. Make sure that coverage is even, but not all the way on one edge. Add apples and spread out evenly. 
  2 cups apples
• Starting on the long end, roll the dough up firmly, tucking the ends in as you go.  Cut into 12 slices and place in a greased 9×13 baking pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with oil and allow the rolls to rise for 1 hour or until nearly double. You may also use 2 smaller pans.

Bake rolls:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Warm the heavy cream until the chill is off. Once the rolls have risen, pour the heavy cream over the top of the rolls, allowing it to soak down in and around the rolls. 
  3/4 cup heavy cream
• Bake at 375 degrees F. for 20-22 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown and the center rolls are cooked through. Rotate the rolls at 10 minutes. If they are getting too browned, cover loosely with foil for the remaining baking time. Baking can take up to 30 minutes or more, depending on oven, and size of rolls.

Prepare Frosting:

• In a medium mixing bowl blend the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar.
  9 Tbls salted butter melted and cooled
• Add vanilla. Add enough cream until desired consistency is reached. 
• Spread the frosting over the warm rolls.

Nutrition

Serving: 1small roll | Calories: 949kcal | Carbohydrates: 157g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 99g | Vitamin A: 1110IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 178mg | Iron: 4mg

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