Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

I have been horribly neglectful of my blog over the last month or so, which, in my mind, is a particularly heinous crime given the salient spices and aromas of the holiday season.  As it turns out, applying for academic jobs and postdocs takes more time than I initially anticipated.  (I haven't stopped baking, though, I promise!)  What better way to counter the anxieties of assistant professorship applications than a pan of hot pumpkin pecan cinnamon rolls?  It's nearly the end of November, and it's a perfect time for sweet pumpkin spice.

These pumpkin pecan cinnamon rolls are just the right amount of everything: they're not super sweet on their own (if that's what you like), but if you want something sweeter, that's where the delicious vanilla-rum cream cheese icing comes in.  Drizzle as much or as little as you'd like for a warm breakfast or an after-dinner treat.

We've been listening to a lot of Neil Young as the leaves have been falling, and our recent vinyl acquisition of Rust Never Sleeps has left our autumn kitchen with the sounds of "Thrasher."

Ingredients:
*Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen's pumpkin cinnamon rolls
*Note also: you'll need a dough hook for your mixer to complete this recipe!

The Dough:
--8 tbsp. unsalted butter, + extra for buttering your pans
--1/2 c. water, warmed (but not boiling)
--1 package of active dry yeast
--3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, + additional for rolling and buttering your pans
--1/3 c. dark brown sugar
--1/3 c. turbinado sugar
--2 tsp. ground cinnamon
--1/2 tsp. ground cloves
--1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
--1/2 tsp. ground allspice
--1/2 tsp. ground ginger
--1/2 tsp. salt
--3/4 c. pumpkin puree
--1 tbsp. canola oil (for coating your bowl)
--2 eggs

The Filling:
--3/4 c. dark brown sugar
--1/2 c. turbinado sugar
--pinch of salt
--1 tsp. cinnamon
--1 c. chopped pecans (you can make these without nuts, too)

The Icing:
--4 oz. cream cheese (or neufchatel)
--2 tbsp. half and half
--2 tsp. vanilla extract
--1 tbsp. dark rum (obviously, leave this out if you're making these for kids)
--1 1/2 to 2 c. confectioner's sugar (depending on whether you want your icing thin like a glaze or thick like an icing)

First thing, heat your water and dissolve your yeast.  Keep in mind that your water cannot be boiling or near it--just warm enough to dissolve the yeast.  If the mixture doesn't begin to froth in 5-7 minutes, the yeast is bad and you'll need to start anew (it's always good to check this first).

Next, melt your butter and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients--flour, sugars, spices and salt.  Beat on low speed, and slowly add about half the melted butter to your mixture.  Continue to beat on low to combine.  Now, add the yeast mixture, pumpkin puree, and the eggs.  Using a dough hook on your mixer, combine the ingredients on low for 5-7 minutes until you have a combined dough.

In a separate large bowl oiled with canola oil, transfer your ball of dough.  Cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit for about in hour in a warm place.  While you're waiting, butter and flour two 9" springform pans (or whatever cake pan you're using).

You can also use this time to make your filling and your icing.  These are both pretty straightforward.  For the filling, just use a fork to gently combine all ingredients. Set aside.  Now, for the icing: in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, half and half, vanilla, rum, and confectioner's sugar.  Beat on medium speed until it's silky and smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Now to complete your cinnamon rolls!  After an hour or so (the dough should have just about doubled in size).  On a heavily floured surface, roll the dough into a rough rectangular shape that's about 1/4" thick.  With a pastry brush, gently brush the surface with the remaining melted butter (you should have about half of the melted butter left).  Drench that dough!  Then sprinkle the filling evenly across it.  Now, you're going to roll this piece of dough length-wise (or the long way).  Try to keep it as tight as possible until you've got a pumpkin dough log on your hands.  Using a serrated-edge knife, very (very!) gently slice the log into 1/2" discs.  When you're finished, you should have enough to fill your two cake dishes.

Place the cinnamon rolls so that they're touching one another in a circular pattern in each of the cake dishes and bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, or until the rolls have puffed up and are ever-so-slightly a golden color.  Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and drizzle (or coat heavily) with your vanilla-rum cream cheese icing.  Enjoy!