Makes 12 large cinnamon rolls
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
3 pound 6 ounces 5 large red apples
All-purpose flour
Sugar
Salt
Instant yeast
Unsalted butter
Whole milk (Room temp)
Large eggs (Room temp)
Vanilla extract
Butter extract
Cinnamon
All spice
Confectioners’ sugar
Tools you’ll need
11 by 17-inch baking pan (For cinnamon rolls)
9 by 13-inch baking pan (For baking apples)
Stand mixer
Food processor
Parchment paper
Aluminum foil
Rolling pin
Pastry brush
Preparation of ingredients
Baking the Apples
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 1- Rinse the apples off with cold water. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the apples into the baking pan. Place into a preheated 375-degree oven on the middle rack. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let the apples cool completely. The apples are done if they are really soft, and you can also stick a fork into each apple easily.
Step 2- Cut each apple into 4 quarter pieces with a serrated knife. Trim off the core of each quarter piece with a serrated knife. Dig out the apple pulp from each quarter piece with a spoon and place into a shallow bowl.
Step 3- Add apple pulp into a food processor and blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Once done you should have 2 and 2/3 cups (1 pound 9 ounces in weight) of the apple pulp.
Making the dough
Step 4-Add 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into stand mixer bowl. Stir all ingredients together with a sturdy spoon until combined.
Step 5- Add 1 cup warm whole milk (Temp of the milk should be 115 degrees F.), 1 stick (8 tablespoons) melted unsalted butter and 2 large eggs (Room temp). Mix on a medium low speed or according to your stand mixer’s instructions on mixing doughs for 5 minutes. Dough will be a little sticky after mixing. That is normal.
Step 6- Lightly flour the surface of your table. Add the dough on top of the table. Add flour onto your hands. Take the flour that you’ve added from the surface of your table and use it to bring the dough together. Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is sticky, continue to combine the flour added from the surface of the table and incorporate that into the dough until the dough. Form the dough into a ball and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Cinnamon / spice sugar mixture
Step 7- Add 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon all spice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt into a small bowl. Stir all ingredients together and set aside.
Preparing your baking pan
Step 8- Spread 1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter around the bottom and sides of an 11 by 17-inch baking pan. Line a sheet of parchment paper onto the bottom of the pan and seal with your hands.
Forming and assembling the cinnamon roll dough
Step 9- Press the dough down with your hands and form the dough into a flat rectangle. Sprinkle a small amount of all-purpose flour onto the surface of your table and on top of the flattened dough. Roll the dough into a 23 inch long by 16-inch-wide rectangle using a rolling pin.
Step 10- Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Spread a generous amount of the melted butter onto the flattened dough while avoiding the edges of the dough.
Step 11- Sprinkle all of the cinnamon/spice mixture on top of the flattened dough. Add Spoonfuls of the apple pulp on top of the flattened dough. Spread the apple pulp around the flattened dough as evenly as possible while avoiding the edges of the dough.
Step 12- Carefully roll the dough towards you like rolling a jelly roll. Seal the edges of the dough with your fingers. Some of the filling may spill out, that is normal. Picture demonstrations are below.
Step 13- Make 12 indentations into the formed cinnamon roll dough. Each indentation should be 2 inches in length. Cut through each indentation using a serrated knife. Once done you should have 12 pieces of cinnamon roll dough altogether. Each piece of dough should be 2 inches tall.
Step 14- Place the cinnamon roll pieces onto an 11 by 17-inch baking pan lined with the sheet of parchment paper. You should have 3 rows of 4 cinnamon roll pieces aligned in the baking pan.
Letting the dough rise
Preheat your oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until it’s warm.
Step 15- Add the pan with the cinnamon roll pieces into the warm oven. Let rise for 25 to 30 minutes. After 25 to 30 minutes remove the pan from the oven. The cinnamon roll dough pieces should be doubled in size.
Baking the cinnamon rolls
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make sure your oven is hot before you add the cinnamon rolls into the oven.
Step 16- Place the cinnamon rolls into a preheated 375-degree oven on the middle rack. Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 15 minutes.
Cinnamon roll icing
Note- Make the icing while the cinnamon rolls are cooling.
Step 17- Add 1 and 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons warm whole milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon butter extract, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, light sprinkle of all spice and a light sprinkle of salt into a small bowl. Stir all ingredients with a whisk until the icing is creamy and smooth with no visible lumps.
Step 18- Add the icing onto each cinnamon roll with the cinnamon rolls are still warm. Let the icing set for 5 minutes and after that the cinnamon rolls are ready to be served.
Quick tips- Never eat cold cinnamon rolls. For best results serve the cinnamon rolls the next day so the flavors can settle and increase overnight. When reheating the cinnamon rolls place them into a preheated 350-degree oven for 5 minutes before serving.
YouTube instructional video
