Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

My skepticism towards pumpkin is over! I am all in on this pumpkin spice craze! This recipe comes from Carlsbad Cravings - this is my favorite place to get recipes from!! I have tried several recipes from Jenn's collection and I love them ALL! I have shared a couple of her recipes, but there are definitely more to come because all of her stuff is delicious!! You can find the original recipe HERE.
Start by warming 1/4 cup of water until it is between 120 - 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the water is warmed, add 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast to the water (I used traditional yeast). Allow the yeast to sit in the water for 5 - 10 minutes, until it foams. While you are waiting for the yeast to foam, you can get started on the other ingredients...

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together 3/4 cup of warmed milk (warmed to 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit just like the water), 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup of melted butter, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Once all of these ingredients are well combined, add the yeast & water mixture to the bowl and let the mixer stir it in on low speed.

Whisk in 3 cups of flour. At this point you need to switch the attachment on the mixer from the whisk to the dough hook. Prior to attaching the dough hook, be sure to spray it with a little cooking spray. Once you've got the dough hook on, stir in 1 1/2 - 2 cups more flour (I needed to add the full 2 cups) until the dough begins to form a mass in the mixer. Allow the dough to knead in the mixer for 5 minutes (if you are kneading by hand, you'll need to knead the dough for about 10 minutes).

When the dough is smooth and elastic, remove it from the mixer and knead it a couple of times into a floured surface. The dough should be a little sticky, but not so sticky that it is still clinging to your hands.

Spray a medium sized mixing bowl with cooking spray and place the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap also sprayed with a little cooking spray. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size. I am a little impatient when I'm baking and did not want to wait 2 - 2 1/2 hours for my dough to rise! So, I put the bowl in the warming drawer under my oven on low heat and it doubled in size in 1 hour!

While my dough was rising, I whipped up some of the brown sugar & cinnamon butter that go with these rolls. You can use regular butter but if you are interested in this sweet butter, here is what you do:

Whip together 1/2 cup of softened butter, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. I did this all in a glass measuring dish. And that's it! The butter is ready to go! Set this aside until a little later! :)

Once the dough is done rising, remove it from the bowl and punch it down. Separate the dough into 15 equal pieces and roll the smaller sections into balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.

Once the balls are placed on the baking sheet, use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough a little bit. Then, using scissors or a knife (I used scissors), make 8 equally spaced cuts into the sides of the pumpkin rolls - the cuts should be about a half inch deep.

Once you have made the cuts, cover the rolls with a towel or with greased plastic wrap and leave them to rise until they double in size (again!!!) I put my whole baking sheet right back in my oven's warming drawer and they were in there for 20-30 minutes. If you do not have a warming drawer, I wish you much patience because these smell GOOD!

After they are done their second rise, use the back end of a wooden spoon to poke deep holes in the top of the rolls, where you will put the pumpkin stem after! Melt 1 1/2  tablespoons of butter - either regular butter or that sweet butter, I recommended earlier! Brush the melted butter on the tops of the rolls.

Bake the rolls for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place half of a pecan in the top of each little pumpkin roll and serve them with butter or the remaining brown sugar & cinnamon butter. These were too cute and so perfect for fall!!

PUMPKIN DINNER ROLLS
ingredients
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (120-130 degrees Fahrenheit)
3/4 cup warm milk (120-130 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour

for the sweet butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

directions
1. Warm up the water until it is between 120 - 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the water is warmed, add the yeast to the water. Allow the yeast to sit in the water for 5 - 10 minutes, until it foams.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together warmed milk (warmed to 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit), pumpkin puree, melted butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ground coriander and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Once all of these ingredients are well combined, add the yeast & water mixture to the bowl and let the mixer stir it in on low speed.
3. Whisk in 3 cups of the flour. At this point you need to switch the attachment on the mixer from the whisk to the dough hook. Prior to attaching the dough hook, spray it with a little cooking spray. Once you've got the dough hook on, stir in 1 1/2 - 2 cups more flour (I needed to add the full 2 cups) until the dough begins to form a mass in the mixer. Allow the dough to knead in the mixer for 5 minutes (if you are kneading by hand, you'll need to knead the dough for about 10 minutes).
4. When the dough is smooth and elastic, remove it from the mixer and knead it a couple of times into a floured surface. The dough should be a little sticky, but not so sticky that it is still clinging to your hands.
5. Spray a medium sized mixing bowl with cooking spray and place the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap also sprayed with a little cooking spray. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size.
6. Once the dough is done rising, remove it from the bowl and punch it down. Separate the dough into 15 equal pieces and roll the smaller sections into balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper.
7. Once the balls are placed on the baking sheet, use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough a little bit. Then, using scissors or a knife, make 8 equally spaced cuts into the sides of the pumpkin rolls - the cuts should be about a half inch deep.
8. Once you have made the cuts, cover the rolls with a towel or with greased plastic wrap and leave them to rise until they double in size.
9. After the pumpkin rolls are done their second rise, use the back end of a wooden spoon to poke deep holes in the top of the rolls, where you will put the pumpkin stem after! Melt 1 1/2  tablespoons of butter - either regular butter or the sweet butter (recipe to follow). Brush the melted butter on the tops of the rolls.
10. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place half of a pecan in the top of each little pumpkin roll and serve them with butter or the remaining brown sugar & cinnamon butter.

for the sweet butter...
1. Whip together 1/2 cup of softened butter, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. I did this all in a glass measuring dish.

Let me know if you have any questions!