Festive Spiced Apple Rolls Recipes

APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat milk to about 95°F (35°C)- use microwave or stovetop. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (OR you can use a handheld mixer OR no mixer, but a stand mixer is ideal). With a whisk, manually whisk in the sugar and yeast. Cover with a towel and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5-10 minutes. If the yeast does not dissolve and foam, start over with fresh active yeast. On low speed, beat in the softened butter until it is slightly broken up. Next add the eggs, one at a time, and then the salt. The butter won't really be mixing into the mixture, so don't be alarmed if it stays in pieces. On low speed, gradually add the flour. Once it is all added, beat on medium speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 6 minutes longer. *If you do not have a stand-mixer with a hook attachment, knead the dough by hand in this step.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands for 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap, a paper towel, or aluminum foil and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours. Here's what I do: turn the oven on to 200°F (93°C). Once heated to that temperature, turn the oven off. Stick the covered dough inside the oven and allow it to rise in this warm environment.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick.
• Spread the softened butter all over the dough. In a small bowl, toss the brown sugar and cinnamon together until combined and then sprinkle evenly over the dough. Top evenly with chopped apples. Tightly roll up the dough to form an 18-inch-long log. Cut into 12 equal rolls. Arrange them in the prepared baking pan. Cover the rolls very tightly with aluminum foil.
• Allow rolls to rise in a warm environment again for about 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake rolls for about 25 minutes until they are golden brown. About halfway through the bake time, I like to cover the rolls loosely with aluminum foil so the tops don't brown too much. Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
• Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm rolls. Serve warm. Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

CINNAMON SPICED APPLES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients. Place apples in a greased 5-qt. slow cooker; add sugar mixture and toss to coat. Top with butter. Cook, covered, on low 3-4 hours or until apples are tender, stirring halfway through cooking.

CINNAMON ROLL BREAKFAST CASSEROLE WITH SPICED APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Place diced apples in a large skillet over medium heat with brown sugar, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix together and simmer until apples are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain apples and set aside.
• Meanwhile, whisk milk, eggs, and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in a bowl.
• Open 1 tube cinnamon rolls; set icing aside. Cut each cinnamon roll into 6 pieces. Place all pieces into the milk mixture and mix around until fully covered. Remove from the milk mixture and press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• Evenly place spiced apples on top of the cinnamon roll layer. Open remaining tube of cinnamon rolls and repeat step 4 (cutting and coating cinnamon rolls), then press on top of the apples to form a top layer. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup over top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and puffy, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Heat 2 icing packets in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds; drizzle over the casserole. Serve immediately.

CINNAMON APPLE ROLLS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in apple juice in large bowl; let stand 1 minute. Mix in 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, 1/4 cup butter and the egg; beat vigorously with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead about 3 minutes or until smooth and springy. Place dough in large bowl greased with shortening, turning dough to grease all sides. (Dough can be refrigerated at this point no longer than 24 hours.) Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 60 to 70 minutes or until almost double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
• Grease 12 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2x1 1/4 inches. Mix red sugar and cinnamon. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide into 20 equal pieces; cover and refrigerate 8 pieces. Flatten each of the remaining 12 pieces into 2-inch round. Place 2 raisins in center for apple seeds. Bring sides of dough up over raisins; pinch edges to seal. Dip dough in melted butter to coat completely; coat with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place pinched sides down in muffin cups. Insert handle end of wooden spoon about 3/4 inch in top of each, and rotate handle slightly to make indentation for stem. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 35 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until rolls just begin to brown under coating. Immediately remove from pan to wire rack. Repeat steps with refrigerated pieces. Cool rolls 30 minutes. Break each cinnamon stick into fourths. Insert in indentations in apples for stems. Place mint leaf next to stem.