Moving on and Moving in-- Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Lessons I have learned when moving: 1) always have strong friends to help move your couch, dresser, and shoe collection. 2) Find out before hand if your new Papa Johns pizza delivers to your new apartment. 3) expect to lose your day planner for a few days, and have your events backed up in your smart phone. 4) do not move when you have a neurosciences test the same week or when you can't take off clinic duty. 5) do not disconnect your internet or cable in your old apartment until you are absolutely sure the cable guy will be at your new apartment the next day. 6) when you finally get to go to the gym, church, or grocery store after you are all moved, expect people to be worried about where you have been for the past week. 7) do not extend moving out over a week long period, even if you justify that "moving a little bit at a time won't be too bad and I'll hardly notice that I'm moving" (LIES!).

My new backyard... the scenic river/forest view was another reason I am very excited about my apartment!

Despite the stress, bruises, and misplaced items, I am very excited to be in my new apartment. I am even more excited about the HUGE kitchen in my new apartment (which may or may not be the sole reason why I made sure that my finances for the next year could stand a $100 increase from my previously budgeted rent). As soon as I unpacked my Kitchen Aid mixer, I was set on starting my new theme for this week: APPLES!

Along with color-changing leaves, crisp jacket weather, and football, apples are one of the first things I think of when fall comes around. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach, though, when it comes to buying apples (mostly golden delicious... YUM!) at the grocery store.  I mean really, how can you resist 5 pounds of apples for $3.50?!  Using my weekly apple excess, I have created and experimented with dozens of apple-based and fall-inspired desserts. One of my favorites is my mom's cinnamon roll recipe, doctored up with some chopped apples. 

Mom makes some of the most amazing "sticky buns" (as she calls them), from a recipe inspired by my family's roots in the Pennsylvania Dutch area.  I can remember going to the farmer's market in Allentown, PA (my dad's hometown) and tasting all the wonderfully sweet, flaky, tender, moist, and golden brown delicious baked goods from our favorite Amish family's stand. Although I loved almost everything they made, I still thought that their sticky buns and cinnamon rolls couldn't hold a candle to mom's. I think adding the apples took a family breakfast favorite, and made it more fall friendly.  While mom typically makes her sticky buns with pecans added to the topping and filling, I can't eat nuts, so I left them out. Still, I hope you enjoy my start to apple week!

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

makes 12 large rolls

Dough:
-2 c. milk (heated to 110F)
-1 pkg active dry yeast
-1/3 c. sugar
-2 t. salt
-6 1/2 c. flour
-2 eggs
-1/4 c. butter, at room temperature
Filling:
-1 c. sugar
-1 c. brown sugar
-3 T. ground cinnamon
-1/4 t. ground nutmeg
-1/4 t. ground cloves
-2 c. very finely chopped apples.
-1/4 c. butter, melted
Glaze:
-1 c. powder sugar
-2 T. milk
-1 t. clear vanilla
Add yeast and sugar to heated milk in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Gently stir to dissolve and let bloom 5 min.  Add salt and 2 c. flour.  Beat 2 min.  Beat in eggs and butter. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time.  When dough starts to come together, switch to a dough hook.  Knead dough for 5 min or until smooth and elastic.  Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.  Move dough into the bowl, turning once to coat with spray. Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled (Here's a nifty trick for letting your dough rise in a draft-free, warm environment.  Turn on your oven to 350F for 5 min, then turn the oven off and leave the door open for 1 min. Your oven should not have preheated all the way to 350F, but will have warmed the oven enough to help the dough rise.  Place dough in a heat safe bowl in the oven and close the oven door.).
Roll dough out into a 1/4" and in the shape of a large rectangle. Brush the dough with half of the melted butter, leaving a 1" border around the edges.  Combine all filling ingredients and spread evenly over the butter. Roll the dough up lengthwise.  Cut into 12 equal rolls.  Place rolls in a greased 13x9 baking dish.  Let rise another hour.
Preheat oven to 350F.  Brush the rolls with the remaining butter.  Bake for 40 min or until golden brown. Meanwhile, combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle the somewhat cooled rolls with the glaze.

Enjoy!

Next up: Apple Cake/non-chocolate brownies!