The Saga of the 37 Pumpkins - Installment No. 3 - Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Browned Butter Glaze

Gourdon had always been a quiet, sober man. Most pumpkins assumed that this trait was encouraged by the polarity of his wife's personality, but instead of softening in the wake of Catherine's passing, his stoicism intensified. While the rest of the community displayed their mourning publicly, Gourdon chose to isolate himself and his children in a bubble of miserable, strict silence. None of bereaved family participated in the public bawling, expressions of rage, or the meetings of the dissident group. 

This isolation helped Gourdon to sort out his feelings, but the same could not be said for his two young sons. The mournful silence only served to stoke dirty, bitter flames in their hearts.

Jack's heart had been captured by this science-loving young squash.

So when one sunny October afternoon, a young pumpkin was swept away while giving a lecture on photorespiration, most members of the Gourd family were too caught up in their mourning to notice. 

Most members, that is. Young Jack did notice, and awful it was that he did.

"And I'd almost asked her to sit on the windowsill with me," he whispered, and tried in vain to turn his rind to the world.

And then there were 34...

For the complete Saga archives, click here.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Browned Butter Glaze

Ingredients:

Dough

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, to be divided
• 1/2 cup whole milk warmed to 110-116 degrees Fahrenheit
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast, or one 1/25 ounce packet
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour, plus some extra for rolling the dough
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree 
• 1 large egg
• Oil for coating rising bowl

Filling

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• Sprinkle of salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp browned butter (follow instructions for making browned butter below)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp vanilla
• Milk to reach desired consistency

Instructions:

Brown your butter: In a small saucepan on medium heat, let butter melt. When it begins to sizzle, start stirring and don't stop until the butter is brown and smells nutty. Immediately take it off of the heat and set aside so that the butter may cool slightly. 

In a small bowl, combine warm milk and yeast. After 5-7 minutes, the mixture should be slightly foamy. If it's not, try with a new packet of yeast and/or make sure that your milk's temperature wasn't too high or low.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together dry ingredients through ginger. Add 1/4 cup of your browned butter and stir to combine. The rest of the butter can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use, at which time you can place it on the warm stove for a few minutes to restore the butter to a liquid state.

 Incorporate the milk mixture with the dry ingredients, along with pumpkin and egg. Attach your dough hook and run for five minutes on low. If you're not using an electric mixer, this is where you'd knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.

Drop your ball of dough into a large oiled bowl and cover with a warm, damp towel. Let it rise in a warm place for an hour. The dough should be about doubled after this time.

In the meantime, butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, or two 8-inch round or square pans. 

After the dough has undergone its initial rise, it is time to assemble the rolls. 

Mix together the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Scoop the dough onto a very well floured surface and flour the top well. Using either your hands or a rolling pin, stretch the dough into a 16 x 11" rectangle. Brush two tablespoons of the reserved butter upon the surface of the dough. Again, the remaining butter can go back into the refrigerator. Sprinkle the filling on top. 

Tightly roll the dough lengthwise. Using a sharp serrated knife, very, very gently slice this tube into 1" thick disks. Arrange the disks in your prepared pans, then cover with plastic wrap. Place the pans into a warm place and let the rolls rise for another 45 minutes. After about 30 minutes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

After the rolls have risen, they'll go into the oven for 25 minutes or until they're golden brown and fragrant.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Mix together all ingredients, starting with a tablespoon of milk and increasing until you reach a consistency that you like. 

When the rolls are baked, drizzle or spread the glaze over the top.

And they're done!

Enjoy!