Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls | Secret Recipe Club

I love almost anything with “secret” in the title, especially when I’m in on the “secret”. When I found out about the Secret Recipe Club, I immediately headed over to their site and knew that I needed to participate. The concept of the Secret Recipe Club is just so much fun. You are assigned a blog, from which you can choose and make any of their recipes, including being able to adapt it to your dietary needs.

For my first assignment, I was given Fake Ginger’s blog. I loved that she is more of a baker, since I have been on a baking streak lately. I consider myself more of a cook than a baker, but I really do enjoy baking when I get the opportunity.

After browsing around Fake Ginger’s site for a bit, it was clear to me that has the whole cinnamon roll thing down. I mean, a lime and cardamon roll? Oh yes, I have it bookmarked for baking when the weather warms up here. When I came across her recipe for Apple Caramel Cinnamon Rolls, my tummy started growling and I knew that I had found the recipe that I was going to make.

Mmm… dig in! Thanks for a wonderful recipe Amanda!

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls by Fake Ginger
Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes
Makes about 12 large cinnamon rolls

Ingredients:

For the cinnamon rolls:
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. lemon zest
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoon instant (rapid rise) yeast
1 cup plus 2-4 tablespoon whole milk or buttermilk, at room temperature

For the apple filling:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cinnamon filling:
3 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoon caramel sauce
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Let’s Bake:
1. Using an electric stand mixer, mix together the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Then mix in the egg and lemon zest. Then add the flour, yeast and milk and mix just until a dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed  for about 7 to 8 minutes until the dough is tacky, but not sticky. (You may need to add a little extra flour.)

2. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Mix the apple slices, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium mixing bowl so that the apples are evenly coated. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add the apple mixture. Cook about 18 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon to blend; set aside.

5. Mist a work surface with spray oil. Roll it out into a rectangle with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the dough with flour if needed to keep it from sticking (about 12 x 14 inches for larger rolls or 9 x 18 inches for smaller rolls). Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix to blend. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface of the dough. Evenly distribute the caramelized apples over the top of the dough. Starting with the wide edge, roll up the dough into a cigar-shaped log, creating a cinnamon sugar spiral as you roll. Pinch the seam shut, and with the seam side down, slice the log into your desired number of rolls. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, placing the rolls about ½-1 inch apart.

4. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the cinnamon rolls rise at room temperature for 90 minutes, until the rolls have grown into each other and have nearly doubled in size. At this point, the rolls can also be covered and retarded in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Pull the pan out of the refrigerator 3-4 hours before baking to let the dough proof.

5. Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in the baking about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

6. To make the glaze, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the caramel sauce, milk and vanilla extract. Add confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Swirl the glaze over the top of the cinnamon rolls. Let cool at least 15-20 minutes before serving.