Gran's Homemade Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Whether you serve them for breakfast or dessert, there's nothing quite like delicious, fresh out of the oven cinnamon rolls made from scratch. One of our favorite recipes is this one for Gran's Homemade Apple Cinnamon Rolls. The addition of chopped apples to the cinnamon dough mixture makes this scrumptious sweet stand apart from all of those other cinnamon roll recipes out there. These homemade cinnamon treats may take a bit of effort, but the end result is well worth it!
Preparation Time1 hr 50 min
Cooking Time30 min
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup warm spring water, about 110 degrees F
- 7 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
- 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1 cup tart apples (such as Granny Smith, Ida Red or Prairie Spy) peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
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In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast and 1 tsp of the granulated sugar over warm spring water and stir until yeast completely dissolves. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 tbsp butter, milk, the remaining granulated sugar and the salt.
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Gradually stir in 1 cup of the flour, the eggs and the yeast mixture. Mix well.
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Stir in another cup of the flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding up to 1/4 cup additional flour, 1 tbsp at a time, as needed to keep dough from sticking.
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Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 4 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar.
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Spread mixture in a well oiled 9-inch square metal baking pan. Top evenly with pecans.
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Roll out dough to form a 10 by 12 inch rectangle.
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In a small bowl, combine apples, the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Place apple mixture on dough, spreading filling to 1/4 inch from the edges.
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Working from the 12 inch side, roll up dough tightly to enclose filling. Pinch seams to seal. With a sharp knife, cut roll into 9 equal pieces.
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Place rolls, cut side down, on top of pecans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours (or 16 to 18 hours in a refrigerator).
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If rolls have been refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking. When reading to bake, preheat over to 350 degrees F.
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Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
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Invert immediately onto a serving platter. Let pan remain briefly on rolls so the topping can drizzle down.
- Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
