Apple Cinnamon Rolls

This is a true story:  This weekend, NES and I went to the Fryeburg Fair with some friends to celebrate RNB's birthday!  There were TONS of food stands all over the place, and though DO, KO and HN made lots of tasty food for lunch and dinner (see exhibit A), we still had to get something fried, or it wasn't a fair.  I mean, that's how it works, right?

Exhibit A

So after seeing a food stand similar to this one (see exhibit B, but imagine it with everything dessert instead of everything vegetable) all over the fair, I wanted what they were advertising as an "apple cinnamon roll".  With ice cream.

Exhibit B

So, I ordered one.  Much to my chagrin, they had run out of apple crisp ALL over the fair.  Not one bit of apple crisp left!  They kindly offered to make me a warm cinnamon roll with hot cider and ice cream.  Still good, but not the same.  And even more not the same as the image I had in my head: a cinnamon roll wrapped nice and tight with a huge swirl of cinnamon and pieces of baked apple.  With vanilla ice cream.

Also, we went after the fair to the most gorgeous state park I've ever been to for salad, chicken, pasta salad and MA's tasty maple pecan upside down cake with bacon!!

Lo and behold, NES and I had also made time on Saturday between homework time and errands to go apple picking.

(This story is going somewhere, promise.)

Exhibit C

We had a great time on a gorgeous fall day, and the apples were SO BIG.  So, so big.  It was awesome.  (Just in case you wondered, I have always had a weird obsession with giant apples.)  See exhibits C, D, E and so on.

Exhibit D

NES's Reaction to Exhibit D

Exhibit E

And so on

We ate apple cider doughnuts, and generally enjoyed the fall day.

Continuing backwards in time, I had found a recipe for Quick(!) Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls at the end of last week.  They were totally in the back of my head all weekend, but seeing as I had a s'mores crepe and a teensy tiny chocolate doughnut for breakfast one day this weekend (see exhibit F and G), I decided we didn't need cinnamon rolls too.

Exhibit F

Exhibit G

So, the moral of this whole story (besides the fact that I wanted to share all the fall pictures from our very fall weekend) is this:  I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and make apple cinnamon rolls how I thought they should be.  (And I made them in less than an hour!)

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from I am Baker

1 (13.8) can pre-made pizza dough
3 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 lg. apple, peeled and cut into small cubes

for the frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 8 or 9 inch pie plate with baking spray (or cooking spray).

Unroll the pizza dough on a piece of parchment paper or a lightly floured surface.  It should be about 12'x6'.

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl with a fork.

Rub the 3 tbsp. of butter over the surface of the dough so the whole surface is covered.

Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the dough, covering the whole surface.  Sprinkle the apples evenly over the surface.

Starting along the short edge, gently roll the dough to get a log.

Cut into 6 even spirals.

Place into the pie plate, spiral side up.

Bake 25-35 minutes, or until browned.

Meanwhile, put the cream cheese and butter into the bowl of a mixture with the paddle attachment.  Beat until combined.

Add the confectioner's sugar, vanilla and salt.  Mix on low to combine, and once sugar is incorporated, let beat on high for 4-5 minutes.

Allow the baked rolls to cool for up to 5 minutes and slather with frosting!