Apple Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

In a small saucepan, warm milk to about 110 F. Then pour it into a large mixing bowl and dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm milk. Add salt and 2 cups of flour and beat for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and butter. Stir in remainining flour a half cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). Place the dough in a large bowl and cover it with a towel. Set in a warm place and allow to rise for 40 minutes or until approximately doubled in volume. Roll out dough into a long rectangle about 1/4 inches thick. Brush with about half of the 1/2 cup of melted butter.

To make the filling, in a medium bowl mix sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans and apples. Spread the mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about an inch empty on all sides. Roll dough over itself from back to front along the long side of the rectangle to form a log. Slice the log into 24 even pieces.

Line cupcake tins (24 count) with cupcake liners and place each piece of the log in a cupcake liner. If they don’t fit, fold the ends together to make a “C” shape. The pieces should come to about the top of the liners. Cover the cupcake tins and set in a warm place to rise for another 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Evenly distribute the remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over the tops of the cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden.

Glaze: In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and apple cider until fully combined. Drizzle over cupcakes.