Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

It has been snowing all day long, a very wet and heavy snow.   It's way too early for this kind of weather!  The weather guys are predicting 3 to 5 inches of snow by tomorrow morning for us.  We are also supposed to have low temps tonight in the mid 20's.  I had to bring in all the pumpkins and squash I had on the porch so they would not freeze.   I had no real place to put them except in the living room by the bay window.   Our basement is not cold as we have our radiant floor heat down there.    It is supposed to warm up in about a week, so I'll be able to put the pumpkins and squash back out on the porch soon.   I gradually bake and puree the pumpkins to put into the freezer for future baking.  Meanwhile my living room looks like a pumpkin patch! (To quote Charlie Brown, is it a "sincere pumpkin patch"?)

Just some of the pumpkins in the living room.  These are Winter Luxury pie pumpkins.   I think they make the best pies. 

With all this pumpkin to use up I began to search my recipe files for good ideas on how to use them.   I already made a pie, but I wanted to do something else today with pumpkin.  So I decided to modify my cinnamon roll recipe and make Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls.   This is the time of year when everything seems to have pumpkin in it, right?
     Well, the rolls turned out delicious.  It was a good thing to do on a cold snowy day.  It warmed up the house and made it smell "homey and cozy".

One of the pumpkin cinnamon rolls.   The dough took on a yellow-orange tint from the pumpkin in the mix.  And the rolls were nice and moist. 

The rest of the pan of rolls.   Yum!

In case anyone is interested, here is the recipe:

PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS

1 T. (or 1 pkg) yeast 

1/4 c. warm water 

1/2 tsp sugar

Let this proof until foamy. 

Meanwhile, in a large non-metal bowl, 

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp salt

4 T butter (half a stick)

     Microwave this mix until hot, to scald.  

Then add 3/4 c pureed pumpkin 

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla 

Add bread flour about 3 to 4 cups until you have a soft dough to knead.  Knead on a floured board for just a few minutes gently.  Sweet roll dough should never be kneaded very long or very strongly as that toughens the dough.  Knead just enough to make the dough not sticky.  Let rise in an oiled bowl until double.  Then punch down and roll out into a 12 x 15 rectangle (about, this isn't exact!)

     Spread the dough with 2 T of softened butter.  

Mix together:  1/4 c. brown sugar, 2 T. white sugar, and 2 tsp cinnamon  and sprinkle this mix over the buttered dough.  

     Roll up and cut into 12 pieces and put into a greased 13 x 9 pan.  Let rise until almost double and bake in a 375 oven for 23 to 25 minutes. 

Make an icing with 1 c. powdered sugar, 2 T. softened butter and 2 T. milk.  Mix well and spread over the rolls. 

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My next pumpkin recipe to try will be pumpkin dinner rolls or a yeasted pumpkin bread.   When cranberry season arrives, I love the combination of pumpkin and cranberries in breads and muffins.   Pumpkin is also good eaten like a vegetable, topped with brown sugar or maple syrup and pecans.  Of course my husband thinks pumpkin "only belongs in pie" - and his favorite pie is pumpkin!

  I will probably end up giving away many of these pumpkins.   We had a bumper crop of them and I don't think we need 29 pumpkins' worth of puree in the freezer!