Recipe: Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Don't you just love this time of year?  The cooler nights, the changing colors of the leaves, apples, cinnamon, sweaters and soups.  Fall just cannot be beat!  I was so excited to be invited to join other bloggers by Sheryl at Lady Behind the Curtain for her Improv Challenge.  This month's challenge is caramel and apples and I knew the recipe that I wanted to make.  

When I came across this recipe on Amanda's blog, Fake Ginger.  All I have to say about these delightfully good rolls is....YUM!  I loved the caramel apple filling. You have to give these a try they are worth the extra effort of cooking the apples and sugar.  I also made these easier by making the dough in my bread maker. I frosted my cinnamon rolls with a thicker more gooey frosting because I figure if you are going to be sinful you might as well go all out but the next time that I make these, I will use the glaze.

Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls 
(adapted from the original recipe by Amanda/Fake Ginger)
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Ingredients

For the cinnamon rolls: 
6 tbsp sugar 
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp ground cinnamon 
5 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, slightly beaten

3 1/2 cups bread flour 
2 tsp instant (rapid rise) yeast 
1 cup plus 2-4 tablespoon whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature

For the filling: 
1 tbsp unsalted butter

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼" slices

1/4 cup sugar 
1/2 tsp cornstarch 
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 
pinch ground nutmeg 
pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

For the frosting: 
4 ounces cream cheese, softened 
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
6 tbsp caramel sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 cup confectioners’ sugar


Instructions

Add the roll ingredients in your bread maker pan as directed by your manufacturer.  Set up dough cycle and start. Meanwhile, make the filling. To make the caramelized apples, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple slices, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix until the apples are evenly coated. Cook about 18 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon to blend; set aside.


Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out into a rectangle with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the dough with flour if needed to keep it from sticking (about 12 x 14 inches for larger rolls or 9 x 18 inches for smaller rolls). Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface of the dough. Evenly distribute the caramelized apples over the top of the dough. Starting with the wide edge, roll up the dough into a cigar-shaped log. Pinch the seam shut, and with the seam side down, slice the log into your desired number of rolls. Transfer them to a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, spacing them about 1/2" apart.  Place in the oven and let rise about 75-90 minutes, until the rolls have grown into each other and have nearly doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in the baking about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.


To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the caramel sauce and vanilla extract. Add confectioners’ sugar starting with 1 1/2 cups.  Add more if needed to reach a thicker frosting and until smooth. Gently frost the rolls. Let cool at least 15-20 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  These rolls can be made a couple of days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them off.  Just follow the instructions upon until they have been sliced and put in the pan.  Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Pull the pan out of the refrigerator 3-4 hours before baking to let the dough proof.  Once the dough has proofed and has doubled in size, follow the baking and glazing directions.

Linked To:
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*Six Sister's Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday 
*Sweet As Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday 
*EKat's Kitchen: Friday Potluck 
*It's A Keeper: It's A Keeper Thursday
*Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
*Around My Family Table: Turning the Table Thursday
*Talking Dollar and Center: Sweet Temptations
*Mangoes and Chutney: Fat Camp Friday
*A Well-Seasoned Life: Sweet Indulgences Sunday
*My Sweet and Savory: Meatless Mondays
*A Southern Fairytale: Mouthwatering Monday
*Sumos Sweet Stuff: Market Yourself Monday
*Something Swanky: Sweet Treats Thursday 
*A Glimpse Inside: Catch a Glimpse 
*Mangoes and Chutney: Fat Camp Friday
*Lamb Around: Not Baad Sunday  
*I Heart Naptime: Sunday Scoop 
*J&M's Eye Candy: Strut Your Stuff Sunday
*It's A Blog Party: Delicious Dishes