The Vikings may have lost...

I was totally in my happy place yesterday.

No, not the mall, but my kitchen.

Football on in the background, and three hours to chop, slice, saute, and bake.  Does anyone else just sleep more soundly on Sunday night knowing that the fridge is stocked with tomorrow's lunches and ingredients for the entire week's dinners?

Like many other females, I've been trained to love all sorts of seasonal decor, foods, and scents.  I have caramel apple shampoo.  I have "cider lane" candles.  I even have maple leaf clings on my office windows.  So why make regular cinnamon rolls when you can incorporate a bit of fall flavor?  

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 16 rolls
1/4 cup warm water (100 degrees F/38 degrees C)
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg beaten
2 heaping teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups whole wheat bread flour
2 cups regular whole wheat flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar packed
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk   

Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle yeast over the water. Allow to stand until the yeast begins to form a creamy foam, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, white sugar, pumpkin, olive oil, and egg. Mix until thoroughly combined. Mix in 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, then add about 5 cups of flour, or as needed to make a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Dough will be slightly sticky. Form the dough into a ball, place into an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place for about 60 minutes. (The dough will rise, but it won't double.)   

Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick baking spray.  I ended up using a loaf pan as well for 4 of the rolls.   

Punch down the dough, and roll it out to a rectangle shape on a floured work surface until it measures about 18 inches wide and 26 inches long. Brush the dough with 1/4 cup melted butter. Mix the brown sugar with the walnuts and the tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. 

Roll up the dough the long way, and pinch the seam closed, then cut the dough into 16 equal-sized pieces with a sharp knife. Lay the rolls into the prepared baking dish.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cover the baking dish and let rolls rise for 30 minutes.

 Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. 

While the rolls are baking, beat vanilla extract, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and milk together to make a glaze. Spread the glaze over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven. 

Now booking appointments for anyone to join me next Sunday in my happy place.