Apple Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough:
In a small measuring cup, combine warm water, a pinch of the sugar and the active dry yeast and let it sit until activated and foamy, about 5 minutes.

In another glass measuring cup, add the milk and butter and warm in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or until the milk is warmed through and the butter is melted.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with your dough hook, mix in 2 cups of the flour, remaining sugar and salt and stir briefly to combine. Add the egg, milk and butter mixture, water and yeast mixture and vanilla and mix until it’s all incorporated. Slowly add in the remaining flour and continue to mix on low to medium speed until a smooth dough has formed, 5-7 minutes.

Oil a large bowl with some vegetable oil and set aside.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead together briefly to form a ball. Place it into your well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.

While the dough is rising, mix together your peeled and diced apples with the lemon juice, brown sugar and apple pie spice. In another small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

When dough has doubled in size, punch to deflate it and turn it out onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 9×15 in size. You can use your sheet pan as a guide. The rectangle should be slightly larger than your baking pan. Butter your baking pan and set aside.

Spread the softened butter over the top of the dough with a spatula or butter knife. Sprinkle the cinnamon and granulated sugar mixture over the butter. Then top with the apple mixture.

Starting from the long edge of the dough, start to tightly roll up the dough like a jelly roll. Pinch the seams together. Cut off the two end pieces of the roll so that each side is even. Cut the dough into 14-16 equal pieces (I use a bench scraper for this step) and place the rolls into the buttered baking dish. Cover again with plastic wrap or a lint-free towel and place in a warm spot for about an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Once the dough has risen, brush the tops with melted butter and bake them for 30 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove from oven. Let them cool for a few minutes before icing.

For the glaze:
Add softened cream cheese and heated caramel sauce into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add powdered sugar and continue to whisk until mixture is smooth. Drizzle in the milk until you reach a good consistency for drizzling. Drizzle or spread glaze over cooled rolls.

Base cinnamon roll dough from Laura Vitale.