Summer is officially over and that means ripe pumpkins are on the vine, ready for picking. Now, more than ever, pumpkin season means pumpkin spice treats of all kinds. From the obvious, like cakes, cookies and frothy coffee drinks, to the strange, think pumpkin spiced kale chips, French pumpkin pie spiced vodka, or pumpkin tortilla chips, pumpkin is everywhere and in everything. Pumpkin lovers everywhere can rejoice now that the season is in full swing.
We’re celebrating the start of pumpkin season by sharing these homey, America’s Test Kitchen-inspired, brown butter pumpkin cinnamon rolls. It gets its hearty, nutty texture from a mix of toasted wheat germ, whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. The dough, which is essentially a biscuit, produces a soft yet dense roll that’s full of great flavor and substantial texture.
This pumpkin roll recipe was adapted late last fall and we decided to wait for the next season to post it with the idea of getting an earlier start. We’re hitting the goal in a mad dash to get posts written before we leave for Paris. On top of a multitude of summer road trips, the last few weeks have been a blur with a baking gig that called for 500 mini bourbon pecan pies, followed by another gig two weeks later that called for 500 bourbon blondies and rye brownies. All of that was punctuated with the catering of Steve’s parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in between the baking gigs. The party included a 1,600 mile roundtrip roadtrip (and lots of help from dear friends and family). We’re ready for a break and by the time you read this, we’ll be roaming the streets of Paris in search of our next treat!
The recipe below includes one of our all-time seasonal favorites, pumpkin butter. With the ease of opening a can of pumpkin puree, this is one to make at home. But if you’re in a pinch, Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter is fantastic and well priced. It’s worth stocking up if you can find it. Toasted nuts add an earthy finishing touch of crunch. And while the rolls look a little craggy coming out of the oven, that dimpled surface makes for a perfect canvas for the sweet drizzle of icing that completes the dish.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Rolls
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for pan
- 1/2 cup pumpkin butter (homemade* or store bought [Trader Joe’s makes a great pumpkin butter])
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans
Biscuit Dough
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and browned
- 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
- 1 1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional flour for work surface (12 1/2 ounces)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1⁄4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1⁄4 cups kefir, yogurt, or buttermilk
Icing
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (4 ounces)
DIRECTIONS
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat to 425 degrees.
Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter in 9-inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat pan.
Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
To make biscuit dough:
Whisk toasted wheat germ, flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
Whisk kefir and 4 tablespoons melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl.
Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy.
Pat dough with hands into 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread the pumpkin butter evenly over the dough; sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Sprinkle evenly with filling, leaving 1/2-inch border of plain dough around edges. Press filling firmly into dough. Starting at long side, roll dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch seam to seal. Roll log seam-side down and cut evenly into eight pieces. With hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal open edges and keep filling in place.
Arrange buns in buttered cake pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons remaining melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes.
Use metal spatula to loosen buns from pan; without separating, slide buns out of pan onto greased cooling rack.
Cool about 5 minutes before icing.
To make icing and finish buns:
While buns are cooling, line rimmed baking sheet with wax paper(for easy cleanup); set rack with buns over baking sheet.
Whisk kefir and confectioners’ sugar until there are no more lumps
Spoon glaze evenly over buns and serve immediately.
*Pumpkin Butter
- 1 can (15 ounces) Pumpkin Puree
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
COMBINE pumpkin, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes or until thickened.
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