First of all! Happy crisp Tuesday! It is a nice 35 degrees out this morning and I can’t help but welcome it. I hope that it is cooling down for many of you.
First of all, I want to thank everyone for entering the Equal Exchange Giveaway. Remember that you can make a difference by learning more about child labor and informing others about it. Please check the post again and read more about how YOU can make a difference even if you do not do a Reverse Trick-or-Treating. The winner is:
Well, if you have been following my blog for a while you know that we are expecting a little girl and that I have FOUR days until the actual due date. It is pretty wild to imagine that our lives will be so blessed with a life that God has blessed us with. Having a human being grow inside me has been the most amazing experience. I never knew how it actually would feel like or how it would affect my life and Ryan’s.
Our prayer and hope is for our little girl to arrive 2-3 days late. Why?
Ryan has his first Fall concert for the Holland Chorale and I also sing for them too! He does have a cover in case anything happens but it just seems like all the work he has has put into rehearsing us would not be put into performance. It is all in God’s hands and I am looking forward seeing what happens. I mean think of me singing at 40 weeks pregnant in a choir dress? I think I would have a nice story to tell my daughter. 🙂
Keep us in your prayers!
Are you tired of pumpkin recipes yet??? I am not! I have a huge can I have been trying to use up and I decided to bring out my recipe for Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, the ones I made last year. Well actually, I have made them several times and this time I decided to add pumpkin to the icing.
Ryan and his colleagues have mid-terms this week and I decided to make a pan of these lovely rolls as a treat. I hope they like them! The more I make this recipe the easier it gets to make them. I should sell them next year! How about that?
Anyway, the addition of the pumpkin to the icing makes the recipe prettier in my opinion and depth. The icing looks like butterscotch icing but do not be fooled. These babies are all pumpkin and spice and that is all nice ya know!
Make them, try them, and go to pumpkin heaven. Add a cup of pumpkin-flavored coffee while you’re at it.
Looking for a GLUTEN-FREE version? Check out Manifest Vegan’s recipe for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.
makes 16 rolls
Dough:
1/4 cup warm water (not hot, about 110 degrees)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk (or non-dairy milk)
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water (equals 1 egg)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree, either fresh or canned
2 Tablespoons melted Earth Balance buttery spread
2 cups (approximately) All-Purpose Flour
1 1 /4 cup Whole Wheat White Flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Filling:
3 Tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread, softened
1/4 cup white vegan sugar
2/3 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each of allspice and ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing:
4 ounces Tofutti cream cheese or regular cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoon So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
4 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Let rest for 5 minutes before stirring. Mix flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add milk, pumpkin, butter, 1 1/4 cups whole wheat white flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom to yeast mixture. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.
Gradually add remaining flour (all purpose), a little at a time, until you have a dough stiff enough to knead. Start with about 1 1/2 cups and increase if necessary. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn once to coat entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl, set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16″ x 12″ rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough and then sprinkle with the sugar mixture.
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Roll the dough into a log the long way; it’ll stretch to about 20″ long as you roll. Using a very sharp knife, slice the log into 15 slices.
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In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices. Place slices in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan (or in two 8 or 9 inch round cake or pie pans). Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
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Bake in a preheated 375°F oven. Bake the rolls till they’re brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20-30 minutes.
While rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Add the cream cheese, vanilla, milk to a small food processor or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth and combined. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending in between, until well mixed and desired consistency is reached. Add the pumpkin puree and blend until mixed well.Frost warm rolls with the cream cheese frosting and serve immediately and enjoy with your favorite coffee.
