Our friend Brittany of Shenandoah Imagery made these delicious apple stuffed cinnamon rolls for her Valentine and shared this recipe with us. This month, Brittany shared her favorite way to show someone you love them: by baking from the heart. She found these apple cinnamon rolls to be the perfect gooey, sticky dessert that featured fresh fruit she got from the orchard.
Albemarle Pippin Apples
Albemarle Pippin, often celebrated as one of Virginia's most famous apples, holds a special place in our local culinary landscape. Despite its origins tracing back to New York, Albemarle Pippin apples have become intertwined with Virginia's rich agricultural heritage. Thomas Jefferson favored the variety so much that he planted as many as 50 Albemarle Pippin trees at Monticello. Bite into a freshly picked Albemarle Pippin, and you'll immediately appreciate its juicy, refreshing qualities, and its rich, complex flavor. Their versatility in cooking and baking is equally impressive; their firm flesh holds up well when cooked, making them ideal for pies, crisps, and sauces.
Fluffy, Decadent Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Even if you’ve never made your own cinnamon rolls from scratch, this recipe will be easy enough to follow that your rolls will come out perfectly fluffy, buttery, and irresistible. To get the most icing inside the swirl, cover the rolls with at least half of the icing as soon as they’re hot out of the oven. It will melt right into the roll.
Dough Ingredients:
- 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, with 1 cup separated
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 package (1/4 ounce) instant yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup whole or 2% milk
- 1/4 cup apple cider (or juice)
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Filling Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups finely chopped and peeled green SVO Albemarle Pippin apples
- 1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Apple Kissed Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:
- ¼ cup apple cider (or juice)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine 2-1/4 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cider and 1/4 cup butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add egg; beat until smooth. Add in enough remaining flour (up to 1 cup as needed) to form a soft dough. You will know when you added enough because the dough will start to come away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball. Knead with dough hooks for 5 minutes. You can knead by hand here if needed.
2. Cover and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Roll into a 15” x10” rectangle. For the filling, spread remaining 1/3 cup butter to within ½” of edges. Combine the apples, brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over butter.
3. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with the long side closest to you; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices. Place cut side down in a greased 13” x 9” baking dish. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes or until the center is set. While the rolls are baking, make the icing.
5. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, apple cider, and vanilla until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat slowly until combined. (For pink icing, add a few drops of red food coloring.) Spread over hot rolls.
