How many of you waited with eager anticipation, as kids, just as I did, for those cinnamon rolls from the famous blue tube to come out of the oven so you could squirt the icing onto them? I can still smell them baking, in my mind’s hazy memories. Snap out of that reverie and into the present! These cinnamon rolls have those beat by such a great distance that they might not even be in the same galaxy anymore!

Just imagine the soft folds of yeasty dough, trapping bits of tangy apple and gooey caramel, all melty and warm in your hand. Lick the creamy, buttery icing off the sides, before biting off one corner. Save the middle for last. Remember? It’s the very best part!

 

INGREDIENTS

For the Rolls:

4½ tsp OR 2 packages of active dry yeast

½ cup warm milk

3 eggs

2 teaspoons + ½ cup sugar, divided

1½ tsp salt

3-4 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

½ cup butter, melted

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1½ cup finely chopped apple (Granny Smith preferred)

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 cup caramel bits

1 Tbsp. milk

For the Caramel Icing:

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

½ tsp salt

⅓ cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp vanilla

1⅓ cups powdered sugar

 

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Rolls:

Mix together 2 tsp sugar, warm milk, and yeast in a mixer bowl. Let stand for five minutes.

Beat eggs, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and whisk to combine. Add 1 cup of flour and continue mixing until smooth. Pour in the melted butter and mix well. Continue adding remaining flour ½ cup at a time until dough is stiff.

Knead dough 20 times on a lightly floured surface. Move the dough to a greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm area and let rise until doubled in size. Approximately 1 hour.

For the Filling:

Meanwhile, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the filling.

Toss the apples with the lemon juice in a small bowl. Add 1 Tbsp. of the sugar/cinnamon mixture to the apples and stir to combine. Set aside the remainder.

Once dough has risen, lightly flour a large cutting board. Punch down the dough and roll out to approximately 12 x 16 inches. Spread the melted butter on the dough and sprinkle the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture. Next sprinkle on the apples. Melt the caramel bits and milk in the microwave in 30 second intervals until fully melted (follow package directions). Drizzle on top of apples.

Starting on a long side, roll the dough up into a cylinder and pinch the edge to close. Cut the cylinder in half and then cut each half into six rolls for a total of 12 rolls. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish (or two 8×8 dishes) and place rolls leaving a little room around each roll to allow for rising. Let the rolls rise for another hour or so and place in the refrigerator (if baking now – do NOT put in refrigerator). When you are ready to bake, remove from refrigerator and let rolls come to room temperature in a warm area. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown in color.

For the Caramel Icing:

While rolls are baking, prepare the caramel icing. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir until combined. Continue cooking over low heat for another 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Add the heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Whisk in the powdered sugar until nice and smooth.

Remove rolls from oven and pour on icing immediately. Let cool slightly and serve

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Quick Tip:  Depending on which way you want to go with your calorie count, you could substitute half and half or evaporated milk for the heavy whipping cream in the frosting.

Recipe and image courtesy of Trish at Mom On Timeout