Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Video here:
Happy Fall! Lately, I have been ringing in the fall with pumpkin recipes and this year I decided to bring apples back! What better way to enjoy apples than adding them as a twist to the classic cinnamon rolls. These are great for brunch with friends, or I can imagine the smell of warm cinnamon rolls wafting through the house as we gather with our families for the holidays.
Notes:
• Filling – make sure that the filling is on the thicker side, rather than runny. You may have to adjust the amount of cornstarch used in the slurry depending on how juicy the apples are. Also allow the filling to cool completely. Filling that is too juice and too wet will cause the dough to fall apart. I had that happen during one of my test runs, but let me tell you what, I wasn’t mad about it. I basically placed it all in the pan and ended up with a cinnamon apple brioche cake for breakfast. I was not mad about it at all. But if you want proper cinnamon rolls, these are things to consider. Additionally, you can add nuts or dried fruit for extra texture and fall flavors. I usually toss it in at the end, so they don’t get overcooked and lose their texture.
• Apples – use whichever apples you like. I prefer a slightly tart apple like sweet tarts. However, I had some galas and ambrosia in the fruit drawer and made a filling with a mixture of different varieties of apples and enjoyed it quite a bit. Choose the apples you enjoy eating.
• Dough – the dough should be slightly sticky. The more flour that you add, the more bread-like the rolls will be. If you have less flour, you’ll get lighter and airier, brioche-like rolls. Grease your hands and grease the work surface to help you work more efficiently on a sticky dough. Typically, I’d start with 4 ½ cups of flour and may add a few tablespoons of flour depending on the weather or the filling. For a drier filling I would stick with the stickier dough. I’ve increased it to 4 ¾ cup for this recipe because the apple filling can end up wetter depending on a few variables.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Yields: 12 rolls (large buns or 16 smaller buns)
Time: 2 hours
Dough
4 ¾ cups (570g) all-purpose flour + more if needed (but it should be a slightly sticky dough)
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons / 113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ¼ cup (295 ml) whole milk
2 ¼ teaspoons (one 7g package) instant dry yeast
2 eggs
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
Filling
4-5 apples, peeled and diced – I got about 500g after dicing
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
½ cup nuts (pecans), chopped
Glaze
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 oz. cream cheese
3-4 tablespoons of milk (or until you get desired thickness)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
- Prepare the dough by adding the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on low to combine ingredients.
Slowly add the cooled melted butter, milk, and eggs. If the dough is too wet after adding all the flour, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time and let it incorporate completely before adding anymore. However, note that this dough should be on the sticky side. Knead on low or setting of 2 for 2-3 minutes. The dough may be sticking to the bottom of the bowl and that’s ok. - Form the dough into a ball and place into a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise for about one hour or until it doubled in size. Times may vary depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by melting butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a small pan or saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar has melted and the mixture starts to bubble, add the diced apples. Cook for a minute or so until the apple juices have been released. At this point add the slurry of cornstarch and water. Cook until the mixture has thickened. Toss in nuts if using. Turn off the heat and cool completely. Set aside.
- Once the dough has risen, transfer to a well-greased work surface. Shape and roll out to about 20 x 12 rectangle.
- Spread cooled filling on most of the rectangle, leaving about an inch on one long side.
- Start rolling in from the filled side until you have formed a log.
- Use unflavored floss to cut the log into 12 pieces.
- If making individual rolls, tuck the edge in under the roll to prevent unraveling. Place it on a greased baking sheet.
- If making rolls in a 9×13, arrange them about an inch apart.
- Cover the pan/baking sheet with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
- Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes. If you want to be precise, until the food thermometer reaches about 190F. (If you make smaller rolls and get 16 rolls, bake for 25- 30 minutes).
- Make the glaze by mixing the confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, extract and 3-4 tablespoons of milk. Whisk well. You can reduce or increase the milk until you get desired thickness.
- Drizzle the glaze on the warm rolls.
- Serve. Enjoy
Video here: