I've tried my hands at making cinnamon rolls before, but they didn't turn out nearly as nice looking as these did today. I used the identical dough recipe, except I used King Arthur's whole wheat flour, which has a softer texture. I think that, and a little extra kneading made all the difference.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
2 C flour (1 C whole wheat)
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3T butter, softened
1 C milk
Filling
1/2 C brown sugar (make sure there are no clumps)
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
1 medium apple, finely chopped
Frosting
1 T butter, softened
1 T cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 C powdered sugar
1-2 T milk
Make dough by first combining the dry ingredient in a large bowl. Then, cut in the softened butter. Add milk until the dough is sticky, and then knead to get the dough to be soft and smooth. I find that during the kneading time, I add in 1/4 to 3/4 C additional flour to get the dough to be less sticky.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness (give or take), and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and diced apples.
Then, roll up the dough to form a roll.
Slice and place in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Keep the rolls about 1 inch apart, so that they can expand during baking.
Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned.
Drizzle with cream cheese frosting, if desired, and enjoy with fresh apple slices.
This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.
