Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

My parents came for a few days and spent Thanksgiving with us, and my mom brought us two jars of her homemade apple butter.  I had seen a recipe for Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls recently, and when my mom gave us the apple butter, I knew just what to make for our breakfast on Thanksgiving morning.  

I ended up combining three different recipes to make my cinnamon rolls, and they turned out to be delicious!

I used this dough recipe, which was delicious and very easy to work with.

I used this recipe, which was the original inspiration for adding apple butter to my cinnamon rolls, for the filling.

I used this recipe for the frosting.  This is my usual cinnamon roll recipe, and it is delicious!

I am combining all of the parts here for you (and for myself for next time).  Here's how I made them.

Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 T sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 pkg. rapid rise yeast

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup milk

2 1/2 T unsalted butter

1 large egg

Place flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix.  In a microwave-safe bowl, heat water, milk, and butter until butter is melted and liquids are hot.  Add butter mixture to dry ingredients.  Add egg and mix with a dough hook for several minutes, until dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Extra flour might be necessary.  Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.

Filling:

2 T softened butter

1/2 cup apple butter

2 T ground cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle.  Spread the dough rectangle with butter and then with apple butter.  Mix cinnamon and brown sugar, and sprinkle the mixture over the apple butter.  Starting on the long end closest to you, roll the dough tightly away from you.  Cut the roll into 12 equal slices (I like to use dental floss to cut mine).  Place slices in a greased 9x13 inch dish.  Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size.  I let mine rise overnight in the refrigerator, and it worked well.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes and until the tops are lightly browned.  Allow to cool for a few minutes and top with frosting.

Frosting:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

Mix frosting ingredients until smooth and spread on top of rolls.

We all loved these rolls, and I am looking forward to making them again soon.  I really loved putting them together the night before, letting them rise in the fridge, and then baking them in the morning for hot, fresh cinnamon rolls that didn't require much work in the morning.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!