Pumpkin Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Escaping reality with fluffy cinnamon rolls and mulled apple cider.
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Hello, my friend. How are you? Hanging in there?
Everyone I know is on edge. They’re devouring pints of ice cream straight from the carton. They’re binge-watching “The Great British Baking Show” while sipping red wine and eating all the Fritos in the bag. One of my friends is a knitter and she’s made a hat for every human in her life. She’s now asking me for my dog’s measurements.
This election year is like watching a horror movie. We’re at that point where the suspenseful music is climbing and something is just around the corner. Will something good happen? Something bad? It’s anyone’s guess.
I’ve done my duty and voted. Have you? I’ve even stepped outside my comfort zone and asked friends if they have turned in their ballots or have a plan on election day. You have a voice. Make sure you use it.
And now I’m in full-scale hygge mode. Cozy candles are lit and the fireplace is crackling. I’m playing Christmas movies on repeat and baking more cookies than we could possibly consume before stuffing them in the freezer.
I’m also listening to serial killer romance while making buttermilk biscuits. That’s normal, right?
Dark romance is not usually my thing, but on a recent walk a friend was gushing about “Butcher and Blackbird.” I decided, well, if now isn’t the time to drown out reality with a story about two psychopaths who fall in love while hunting other serial killers, then when? I’m listening to the audiobook and the narration so far is perfection. [Edit 11/21: I have since finished this book and FYI and it is very NSFW! Excellent writing, but let’s just say I could not listen to this while driving for fear of swerving off the road.]
My husband once asked me: Why do you start baking when you feel stressed? You know we can’t possibly eat all of this.
The answer is simple: because baking engages all the senses and is an easy way to sink into what is happening right now. Not what might happen. Not what happened before.
Instead, your mind is focused on measuring ingredients, listening to your spoon scrape the sides of the bowl, and smelling the aroma of treats baking in the oven. Then your hands gently pull apart tender dough, and you bite into warm, bready goodness topped with perfectly sweet frosting.
During yesterday’s baking sesh, I made the pumpkin apple cinnamon rolls you see here while watching “The Holiday.” These fluffy buns are filled with spiced apples and baked with the rich sauce leftover from cooking the fruit in cinnamon sugar. The final touch is a smooth maple cream cheese frosting.
I think you should try this recipe. It engages every sense. It hits all the right notes.
And if you want to double down on the hygge factor: Make these buns, then serve them with a steaming mug of mulled apple cider. Maybe spiked with a touch of brandy, if that’s your thing? I’m giving you recipes for both the buns and the cider today so you can make it happen.
Breathe. Vote. Take care of yourself. Eat a cinnamon bun.
Trust that whatever happens, you’ll figure it out. Everything is going to be ok.
But in the meantime, baking helps.
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