Pumpkin-Spiced Cinnamon Rolls

When I saw these Easy Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls on The Ungourmet last week, I knew that they would make an appearance in my kitchen in the near future. By the way, if you haven't visited Kim's blog, please give it a look for some excellent baked goodies (her cupcakes are SO creative!) and delicious meals. I already had all of the ingredients needed for pumpkin-spiced cinnamon rolls, so they were an easy choice for this morning's breakfast. Besides, what's not to love about cinnamon rolls...especially pumpkin -spiced cinnamon rolls...especially at this time of year!? This is the perfect easy Saturday morning recipe, a morning that no on needs to rush off to work or school and you can all sit down together and enjoy it with glasses of cold milk or a cup of steaming, fragrant coffe. Make it in your p.j.'s...cartoons playing in the background...savoring the haven of your warm, cozy kitchen. Smile out at the cold, hard, gray November morning as the smell of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon fill the air. The holiday hustle and bustle is just around the corner, but today it's just a low-key Saturday morning with the family and these yummy pumpkin-spiced, cream cheese and maple topped cinnamon rolls on your plate...

I began by combining the filling ingredients: pumpkin puree, a little butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until smooth.



Then grab an 16-18 oz package of refrigerated pizza dough. Kim, from The Ungourmet used Trader Joe's pizza dough that comes in a bag, not a tube. I went with what I already had...Pillsbury in a tube. I still haven't figured out where Trader Joe's is in this town...



You're supposed to roll it out into a 12 X 10 inch rectangle. Since I used the thin crust version of Pillsbury pizza dough, I simply needed to unroll it onto a floured surface.



Then I spread the filling over the rectangle, leaving about an inch on each side.



Kim commented that these rolls aren't overly sweet, which was good for her because super sweet goodies just aren't her cup of tea. Me on the other hand, I'm all about the sugar high! I sprinkled another layer of sugar-cinnamon blend over the filling mixture.



Then, starting with the long side, I rolled the rectangle up, jelly roll style. Pinch the seams to seal.



Then, using a sharp knife, slice the roll into 1 to 1-1/2" portions. Mine were a little "smooshy", partly because I used pizza roll from a tube and partly because I didn't roll it as tightly as I should have.



It was all good, though...they still turned out okay. Transfer them to a greased, 9-inch baking dish. I used my 9-inch springform pan, but a regular 9 in. round or square pan would work out just fine. Depending on the type of pizza dough, you might need to let these rise until doubled for about 45 minutes. Using pizza dough from a tube, I found that the rolls do not expand much when left to rest on the counter. I think that I let mine sit for about 30 minutes with no change. Next time, I might not even bother. Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.



While the rolls bake, combine the icing ingredients: butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, and a little orange juice.



Sift in a cup of powdered sugar and stir until combined and smooth.



Spread the icing over the rolls while they are still warm.



The recipe makes plenty of icing...feel free to smother em'! Mmmm. These were great fresh from the oven, but I liked them even better, hours later, with an afternoon cup of coffee.




Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from theUngourmet

1 16-18 oz package of refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp room temperature butter

Icing
2 tbsp room temperature butter
1/2 cup room temperature cream cheese
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp orange juice
1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Roll dough into a 12x10 inch rectangle. Combine the pumpkin, spices, syrup and butter. Spread filling onto the rolled dough, leaving 1 inch on each side. Carefully roll dough jelly-roll style, starting at the long end (this will be a bit messy). Pinch seam to seal. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut 12 1 inch slices. Place rolls into a greased 9 inch baking pan. Cover and place in a draft free area and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Combine icing ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread over rolls while they are still warm. Enjoy!

Notes: I used pizza dough from a tube. It didn't really need time to raise. If you use homemade dough or refrigerated pizza dough from a bag, it will a) need time to raise and b) probably yield a lighter, fluffier cinnamon roll.

I liberally sprinkled cinnamon-sugar over the filling before I rolled up the dough for a sweeter product.