I combined two of my favorite treats into these swirls of apple-cinnamon decadence.
I love all things apple and cinnamon, so why not put a twist on classic cinnamon rolls by tossing in some cozy spiced apples and cinnamon-packed topping? I'm also including a new recipe for a brown butter maple icing (not pictured) that ties these together beautifully and adds another level of sweet, nutty flavor.
As is the case with many of my recipes, I'll include a few options for you to put your own spin on flavors and textures. Baking has a reputation of being an exact science - it has so many rules!
Of course, some of those rules are helpful for a foolproof recipe, but some "rules" are made to be broken. If you want to add a little more cinnamon or a little less sugar, GO FOR IT.
The more you cook at home, the more comfortable you'll become with the way things should look, feel, and taste throughout your cooking and baking processes. Want to learn more about cooking? Watch some shows on Food Network, read some cookbooks, or peruse some food blogs. Have fun with learning to cook and cook from your heart!
Apple Crisp Cinnamon Rolls
(Makes 9-12 Cinnamon Rolls)
*Contains wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts
For the dough:
5 Tablespoons Salted Butter
1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk (at room temperature)
1/4 Cup White Sugar
3/4 Cup Almond Milk
2 1/4 Teaspoons Yeast
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 1/4 Cups + 1.5 Tablespoons 00 Flour* (plus more for kneading)
*I always use 00 Flour for cinnamon rolls. If you don't have it, I'd recommend bread flour. If you only have all purpose flour, that'll work too - just start with 3 cups and only add as much as you need for the dough to come together.
For the filling:
3 Cups Peeled and Diced Granny Smith Apples (about 2 apples)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3/4 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
Squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice (about 1/2 teaspoon)
For the crisp topping:
2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Flour (00 or all purpose)
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
For assembly:
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
For the brown butter maple icing:
2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 Tablespoon Almond Milk
I know, I know, I know - it seems complicated! Don't worry - the recipe breaks everything down into steps so you can spread the process out over the course of a couple of days, if you'd like.
1. Filling: I like to start by making the filling so it can chill. Chop up your apples into a small dice. In a medium frying pan, heat the butter until it starts to get foamy. Add the apples and cook until they begin to soften. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice, and continue to cook until the apples are soft and the liquid begins to thicken. Pour the apple filling into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge until you are ready to roll out your cinnamon rolls.
2. Dough:
a. First off, are your eggs at room temperature? It's okay if you didn't plan ahead - fill a small bowl with some warm water and put the eggs in there for a few minutes. (Oh, and keep them whole and in their shells, please - to be clear, I don't mean to crack your eggs into water.)
b. Brown that butter! I love the nutty flavor that brown butter brings to this dough. (If you don't have time to brown it or are hesitant of the process, I promise you that they'll still taste lovely with regular melted butter.) If you're up for browning it, it's a total game-changer in this recipe! Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Pay close attention so that it doesn't totally burn. As it gets hot, the butter will start to foam. The nerd in me wants to tell you all about how that means the water is evaporating, but I'll spare you the science lesson. Swirl the pan around to keep the butter from burning on the bottom. As the foam subsides, you'll notice the butter becoming a caramel color. You want to see brown bits at the bottom of the pan, and you'll start to smell that delicious, nutty fragrance of beautifully browned butter. Pour the butter into a bowl (don't forget all the brown bits!) and let it cool at room temperature for a few minutes.
c. Okay, NOW we'll start actually making the dough. Warm up the almond milk (yes, I like to use almond milk in this recipe - if you don't have it, go ahead and try whatever you have on hand and I'm sure they'll still be great!) in a saucepan or microwave (fun fact, I don't own a microwave!) until it's just warm - not too hot - about 105' F. Pour the warm almond milk into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit for a couple minutes so the yeast can start activating.
d. Put the paddle attachment onto your mixer. Mix the yeast and almond milk together. Add the egg, yolk, and sugar, and mix until blended. Add the cooled browned butter and mix. Add the salt and cinnamon.
e. Now, switch to the dough hook mixer attachment and get ready to add your flour. WAIT! When it comes to flour in baked goods like this, I rarely follow recipes exactly. My grandmother (one of the best bakers I know!) taught me to always start with less and just add it until it's "just right." Of course, I'm still learning what "just right" means, but what she means is that it's really easy to add too much flour, and it can totally ruin whatever you're baking. So, start with 3 cups here and add more, as needed, until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. It should be slightly sticky, but not so sticky that it sticks to the bowl or to your hands. If you'd like to take it out and knead it by hand, that works too.
f. Grease a large bowl (with oil, butter, cooking spray, etc.) and put your dough in there to rise. Cover it with plastic wrap and place a kitchen towel on top so it gets nice and cozy. Put it in a warm spot to rise for at least an hour - I usually aim for about an hour and a half. You want the dough to be about doubled in size. (Depending on the weather, the dough may rise more or less - don't stress too much about it.)
3. Crisp Topping: Remember how you browned the butter for the dough? Do that again for the crisp topping. TRUST ME. After you've browned it, go ahead and mix all of the crisp topping ingredients together in a medium bowl. DONE.
4. Assembly: Preheat your oven to 350' F and butter a pie pan or baking dish. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Get those apples out of your fridge. Sprinkle some flour out on your clean counter or a large cutting board. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Spread the apple mixer out over the dough, leaving about an inch frame around it so it doesn't spill out. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. Starting with the edge closest to you, get rolling! Keep everything very tight and neat as you roll the dough into a log. Use your hands to squish it together on the sides so that the filling gets sealed in.
Carefully, use a serrated knife to cut 9-12 cinnamon rolls. (The end pieces won't have as much filing in them, so you may or may not count those as actual cinnamon rolls.) Place them in your baking dish and sprinkle the crisp topping all over them. Dot the top of the crisp topping with a few pieces of butter (make Julia Child proud!). Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350' for about 25-30 minutes, until the edges of the cinnamon rolls start to brown.
5. Icing: Are you a pro at browning butter now? Do it again! This brown butter maple icing is SO FREAKING GOOD. You will want to put it on everything - consider yourselves warned! Let that brown butter cool so it isn't piping hot, but not so much that it solidifies. In a medium bowl, measure out the powdered sugar and maple syrup. Pour in the cooled browned butter, and begin to whisk it all together. Add about 1/2 tablespoon of almond milk - maybe more, and whisk until it comes together as a smooth, caramel-colored icing. Feel free to add more or less liquid and more or less powdered sugar if you prefer it to be more of a glaze or more of a thick frosting. You do you!
6. The moment you've all been waiting for...drizzle the icing over the cinnamon rolls! These would be great for Thanksgiving morning or just to brighten up a dreary day. If you give these a try, don't forget to send me a picture and tag @heyfoodiegirl in your social media posts!