Apples N Cinnamon Rolls

*Quick Tip: If you don’t want to make the dough, use frozen bread dough instead. It wont be as moist and tender as this specialty dough, but it will do. Thaw according to pkg instructions and let rise to double before rolling out to make the cinnamon rolls.

Apples N Cinnamon Rolls With Vanilla Cream Frosting

Makes abt 24 cinnamon rolls

Text in red are the real sugar conversions.

Ingredients

Rolls:

4 c flour + more for dusting

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 c milk

1/3 c honey

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 pkg active dry yeast

6 tbsp melted butter or margarine

1 c Splenda Granular (1 cup sugar)

4 tsp ground cinnamon

3-4 small apples shredded, (like you would hash browns)

Frosting/Icing:

2 c Splenda Granular (3 c powdered sugar)

1 1/2 c Powdered Milk (Omit this ingredient in sugar version.)

1 tsp vanilla

1 pint or to consistency, Heavy whipping cream (sugar recipe may take less then one pint. )

Milk to consistency (omit in reg. sugar recipe)

Directions

Rolls:

In a mixing bowl combine 2 c of your flour and yeast. Mix well and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine milk, butter, honey, vanilla, and salt. Heat until butter is melted and small foamy bubbles form around the edges and on top.

Add hot milk mixture to flour and yeast mixture. Mix well. Add in eggs and yolk. Mix until completely combined.

While mixing add in the rest of your flour a little at a time. If using a hand mixer you will need to stop halfway through and use your hands instead.

Next you are going to use your hands to kneed in enough extra flour to make a soft elastic dough. I did this directly in the mixing bowl but you could turn it out on your counter and knead there as well.

Form dough into a ball and put into a lightly grease bowl. Turn the ball over to coat the dough with grease from bowl. This helps keep it from drying out.

Cover with a dish towel and let rise until doubled. How long this will take depends on the humidity, heat, and elevation so your guess is as good as mine!

Punch down dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half and let rest for about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl combine your cinnamon and splenda (sugar). Mix until evenly combined. Set aside.

Roll out half of your dough into a 12×8 inch rectangle. Brush the dough with a generous amount of the melted butter. Don’t use more then half as you still need some for your other dough.

Sprinkle Half of your cinnamon mixture onto the dough as evenly as you can.

Spread HALF the shredded apple over the cinnamon as evenly as possible.

Roll dough up jelly roll style as tightly as you can without stretching the dough. Using a very sharp knife cut dough into 12 equal sections. Place onto greased baking pans abt one inch apart. I used a deep cookie sheet, but you could use any pans you like as long as there is enough room for them to rise.

Cover and let rise until about double.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until cinnamon rolls are lightly browned on the edges.

Icing/Frosting:

In a food processor or blender combine Splenda and powdered milk. Blend until the consistency of powdered sugar. (Omit this step for sugar recipe)

In a bowl combine your powdered splenda/milk (powdered sugar) and vanilla. Pour in your whipped cream a little at a time while mixing. You are looking for a consistency somewhere between frosting and icing. (see pic) It should be stiff enough to spread on, but loose enough to drip. If you have used all your whipped cream continue with milk until you get your desired result.

Spread onto warm rolls.

At this point you are done and you can enjoy your hard work!

Store in the refrigerator. These are great cold but I like them best at room temp so if you can stand it, let set at room temp for 10 or so minutes before eating. (If you can wait…I can’t! I get out two so I can enjoy one cold one while the other is getting warm LOL.