Freshmen Fridays: Fall Break Flavors

If there’s one thing a freshman loves, it’s fall break. I’m not sure whether I was more excited for real showers or real food. I have welcomed both back with glee. Don’t you love when you can clean yourself without spending half your energy avoiding somebody else’s clump of wet, black, hair?

Turns out the thing I missed most about home, apart from my favorite armchair and the oversized sweatshirt I was too embarrassed to bring to college, was my oven.

After a relaxing day of running in the rain and falling asleep in various locations (including, but not limited to, the kitchen table, the couch, the floor), I decided it was time to bake a seasonal snack oozing with brown sugar and comfort: pumpkin spiced cinnamon rolls with maple cream cheese icing.

Cinnamon rolls are ideal for the lazy days of fall break. In the hour and a half the dough has to rise, there’s so much potential for doing nothing! I conquered an episode of Modern Family and an issue of Cook’s Illustrated, but pick your poison. Whatever your qualms are about making yeasted doughs from scratch, leave them on campus. When these bright orange beauties emerge from the oven, your kitchen will smell better than ever. It’s worth getting your hands a little messy.

Pumpkin Spiced Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing
Adapted from Taste and Tell
Yield: 24 rolls

A few recipe notes:
“Pumpkin Spice” is often available for purchase at grocery stores in the spice aisle, but you can also make your own by mixing equal parts cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, and ground ginger. When you’re left with a few awkward pieces of dough that simply won’t form a beautiful roll like the rest, rip them up and tuck morsels in between the rolls for an extra bite here and there.

Ingredients:

For the rolls:
1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
3 tsp pumpkin spice
5 1/2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting

For the brown sugar filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp pumpkin spice
2 tbsp molasses

For the icing:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1. Combine warm water, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
2. Mix in evaporated milk, sugar, pumpkin, oil, egg, and spices until well combined. Stir in 4 cups of the flour.
3. Stir in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, using your hands to mix when necessary. Knead dough for 7-8 minutes or until elastic. Continue to add flour if it is too sticky.
4. Place dough in a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a dish towel. Leave to rise for 1 1/2 hours in a warm area.
5. While dough is rising, make filling. Melt 1/3 cup of the butter in a saucepan and continue to heat on medium-high until it is browned (tiny brown particles will be visible, don’t go beyond that state!). Stir sugars, spices, and molasses into browned butter.
6. Split risen dough in half. One half at a time, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, roughly 12 x 16 inches. Melt remaining butter and brush onto rectangle. Divide filling mixture in two and evenly sprinkle half on each rectangle of dough.
7. Tightly roll each rectangle, lengthwise, into a long roll. Use twine or floss to slice rolls roughly 2 inches wide.
8. Bake rolls for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Nine rolls will fit in a standard 8 x 8 inch pan, fifteen in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
9. While rolls are baking, make icing. Using an electric mixer, whip together butter and cream cheese. Add pumpkin spice, maple syrup, and vanilla. Finally, add confectioner’s sugar 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated.
10. When rolls are cool, spread icing evenly across the surface of the rolls, and dig in.