Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Delicate pillows of dough wrap up layers of cinnamon, dark brown sugar, toasted pecans, plump golden raisins, and the floral notes of pure vanilla gracing sweet apples. This might be the ultimate way to indulge yourself in the spectacular flavors of Autumn.

Making cinnamon rolls is a labor of love, but oh my stars, one bite and you realize they’re worth every minute of your time. This is a twist on our favorite recipe for cinnamon rolls. They start with a beautiful, fluffy yeast dough, made with mashed potatoes – a great trick that keeps the rolls soft and tender for days. The filling is full of butter, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon plus pecans, golden raisins, pure vanilla extract, and loads of apples.

The apples are cooked in a bit of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until they’re tender and cooked through followed by a splash of pure vanilla extract. The apples will now roll up beautifully inside the dough.

Brush the dough with the butter, layer everything on and roll them up.

Slice, and give them one more rise before popping them in the oven, baking until they’re golden. Finish with a drizzle of vanilla scented icing.

This recipe makes at over two dozen large cinnamon rolls or up to sixty if you make smaller rolls, so you can cut the recipe in half or line up some friends. As with any yeast bread these take a bit of time to make. Trust me, you’ll be well rewarded for your efforts.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:

2 to 3 medium new potatoes, about ¾ pound, peeled and cubed

2 packages dry yeast*, 4-½ teaspoons

½ cup warm water, 110 to 115-degrees

1 cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided

2 cups milk, heated until steaming and foamy, about 160-degrees

½ cup shortening

7 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 extra-large eggs

*Each packet of yeast contains 2-¼ teaspoon.

For the dough:

Place the potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are very tender. Drain and mash until smooth. Measure out 1 cup of the mashed potatoes.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the yeast, the warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar; set aside to proof, about 5 to 10 minutes. The yeast will expand as it “grows” so use a container to allow for this.

In a large mixing bowl pour the scalded milk over the shortening, mix on low using the heat from the milk to dissolve the shortening. Cool to lukewarm, about 110 to 115-degrees. Slowly stir in 4 cups of the flour, kosher salt, the remaining 1 cup of sugar plus the mashed potatoes, eggs and the dissolved yeast.

Add the remaining 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Place the dough in a large bowl that has been lightly greased or sprayed with a cooking spray, turning the dough once to coat. (This keeps a film from forming on top of the dough.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, set the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

For the filling:

2 cups dark brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

4 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus ½ teaspoon divided

½ cup butter, melted, plus 3 tablespoons, divided

7 cups peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced apples, about 4 apples*

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

1 cup golden raisins

*Use a variety of apples, such as Gala, Fuji, McIntosh plus Granny Smith for some tartness.

In a small bowl mix together 2 cups of the brown sugar and 4 tablespoons of the cinnamon.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apples with the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.

Cook until the apples are very tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool while you roll out the dough.

To make the apple cinnamon rolls:

Turn the dough out onto a floured service and divide it in half (into fourths if you want smaller rolls).

Using a floured rolling pin, roll each section of the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle about 12” x 20” and about ½” thick. Brush the top of the dough with ¼ cup of the melted butter, covering from edge to edge. Spread ½ of the dark brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of the butter, about 1 cup, using your hands to cover thoroughly and evenly.

Then spread ½ cup of the pecans and ½ cup of the raisins over the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread half of the cooked apples out over the pecans and raisins. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Starting with the longest edge, roll up the dough as tightly and evenly as possible.

Once you have the dough in a roll, take a sharp knife and cut into 1” slices. Carefully place rolls into baking pans that have been lightly sprayed with a cooking spray. (I use two 9” x 13” x 3” glass baking dishes plus one 8” x 11” for a full recipe.) The rolls should be touching but with a bit of room to rise. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the pans with plastic wrap, place them in a warm place, and let the rolls rise until doubled, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Bake at 350-degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top and bottom. The bread will sound “hollow” when tapped on top. Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool slightly while you make the icing.

For the icing:

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

4 to 6 tablespoons half and half, adding more or less to reach your desired consistency

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar with the half and half and vanilla until smooth.

Drizzle across the cinnamon rolls.

Makes 30 large apple cinnamon rolls.

Some tips learned along the way: Baking in clear glass baking dishes makes it easy to check and see if the rolls are golden on the bottom.

A stand mixer makes quick work of the dough and an instant read thermometer is handy for checking water and milk temperature. Yeast can be temperamental – the liquids need to be warm enough to activate the yeast but not so hot as to kill it. You can buy thermometers at most kitchen stores and online. If this is your first round working with yeast dough, some tips on yeast and proofing. First check the date on the package of yeast. To proof the yeast, you need a liquid around 110 to 115 degrees to activate the yeast. Too hot and it will kill your yeast and too cold and well, not much will happen. Adding a bit of sugar “feeds” the yeast, helping grow. If the yeast is active it will start to foam up or “proof”. My Mom used to say this “proves” your yeast is good. So, proof your yeast first, making sure it’s active before you start mixing up the dough.