Apple Cinnamon Rolls

What’s better than waking up to the smell of pancakes? I’ll tell you—waking up to homemade apple cinnamon rolls. This recipe is another morning favorite here at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen. Made completely from scratch, this fluffy, delicious treat is perfect to pair with coffee or even hot chocolate. Especially during chilly season!

Apple cinnamon rolls have a very special place in my kitchen because I could never go wrong with this recipe. Believe me when I say that they don’t last a single day because everyone loves them. It’s the perfect autumn breakfast and the twist of the apples make them that much more satisfying to eat. The filling contains raisins, ground cinnamon, and the main event, apple filling! It’s almost like an apple pie but combined with another favorite: cinnamon rolls! The difference here is that the apples must be chopped. Remember you will be rolling up the filling, so there must be a balance.

My favorite part of this recipe is seeing it come together as I take it out of the oven. You’ll notice golden brown edges and the gooey centers throughout your dough. Now it’s time to finish it off with the homemade vanilla glaze. My three-ingredient glaze perfectly complements the already flavorful rolls. Once your glaze is nice and smooth, generously drizzle each roll to your liking and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

 DOUGH

• 1 cup warm water (110oF/43oC)
• 2 packages Fleischmann’s® Traditional Active Dry Yeast
• 1/2 cup warm milk (110oF/43oC)
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine — softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs — at room temperature
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (5 1/2 to 6 cups)

FILLING

• 1 19-ounce can apple pie filling — coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

VANILLA GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Measure warm water in large warm bowl.
2. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved.
3. Stir in warm milk, butter, sugar, salt, eggs and enough flour to make soft dough.
4. Knead on floured surface until smooth, 5-6 minutes.
5. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
6. Cover; let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
7. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for filling; set aside.
8. Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each half to 10- × 16-inch rectangle; spread half filling on each rectangle.
9. Roll up from long side as for jelly roll; pinch seam to seal.
10. Cut each roll into 12 pieces; place pieces in large greased muffin cups.
11. Cover; let rise until almost doubled in size, about 20 minutes.
12. Bake at (350oF) for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool; drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.
    TO MAKE VANILLA GLAZE
13. Combine 1 cup confectioners’ powdered sugar, about 1 tablespoon milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.
14. ENJOY!