Remember when I said that July was crazy? And I promised to never go that long without a recipe again? And then I went missing for two months…

So…hi…

I’m Katie! I love chocolate, dogs and running. I also could go on crunchy leaf walks all day, listen to Christmas music year round, and I thoroughly enjoy eating 4-5 spoonfuls of peanut butter each day.

Did I mention that I have been terrible in this relationship of ours? I promised to give you oodles and oodles of mouthwatering, button popping recipes in return for your love and devotion to my blog. And now we are here, and I am re-introducing myself because I am sure that you have forgotten who I even am!

I’m not going to bother you with long stories of why I was MIA, ohhh just got married, went on a honeymoon, and MOVED...but I am now BACK! And, while it may take some time to get back to my regularly scheduled posting, I promise to never let you down again.

How has your fall been? Full of pumpkins and candy corn and leaves and sweaters and apple picking and warm coffee and cold nights?! Please answer yes to all of those.

If the colors don’t make you obsess about this absolutely incredible season, then I sure hope the fireplaces do, or the fact that you can comfortably wear leggings and huge sweaters because 1. It’s not too cold out and 2. Sometimes a little extra room is needed for all of those Halloween candies that you just had to have.

This is also the time of year that I start to get way too excited for the holidays. I knowwww it’s still October, but sometimes humming a little Jingle Bells gets the best of me. Have no fear! That will all be kept to myself, and I will not start truly decorating and watching Elf on a daily basis until the day after Thanksgiving!

So, my sweet, loving, always-there-for-me friends, I have the perfect fall brunch (or really any day of the week) addition. I threw so many spices and so many apples into the middle of buttery cinnamon rolls, then topped it all with oats, and boom.

Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls.

Can we read that one more time?! Apple. Pie. Cinnamon. Rolls.

There is no such thing as too much butter, especially when it’s mixed with a crazy amount of cinnamon and nutmeg. The salivating has begun.

When you stuff these rolls with way more apples than it can handle, I mean HELLO! It’s just gorgeous. Absolutely stunning.

A glaze is optional, but I have not added it to these simply because I want you to taste every single spice covered, butter soaked, apple bite in these!

While I may have been out of your life for a little while, I promise that the couple of pounds I’m giving back to you through these cinnamon rolls will make up for it!

dough ingredients

Milk (110˚-115˚F)—4 oz, or ½ C

Molasses—1.5 oz, or 2 TBL

Sugar—4 oz, or ½ C

Yeast—1 packet

Butter, soft—4 oz, or ½ C

Eggs—2

Milk—4 oz, or ½ C

Flour—18-20 oz, or 3 ½-4 C

Cinnamon—2 tsp

Nutmeg—1 tsp

process

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the milk (warm), molasses, sugar, and yeast.

Let sit about 10 minutes so that the yeast can begin to activate—you’ll notice the yeast bubbling and thickening.

While the activation process begins, combine the eggs and second milk in a bowl.

In another bowl, combine your flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Start with the 3 ½ C of flour, more may be added later.

After the 10 minutes, with the mixer on low and using the dough hook, stream in your eggs and milk.

Add in the softened butter, a tablespoon or so at a time.

Once all combined, slowly begin to add in your flour/spice mixture.

When all added, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and let the dough hook knead for about 10 minutes.

If you notice that the dough is still sticky about 5 minutes in, you may add more flour, about a tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to hold its shape better.

After mixing the dough for 10 minutes on medium-high speed, transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and allow to rise until it has doubled in size.

filling ingredients

Brown Sugar—6 oz, or 1 C

Butter—6 oz, or ¾ C

Cinnamon—2 TBL

Nutmeg—1 tsp

Apples—3 medium, diced

process

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and spices.

Cut up the apples to a small dice.

Reserve both the apples and the butter mixture until you’re ready to use them in the cinnamon rolls.

assembly

When your dough has doubled in size, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

Knead the dough just slightly with your hands and form it into a ball.

Using a rolling pin, roll into a rectangle about 24”x10”.

Spread the brown sugar/butter mixture all over the rolled dough.

Sprinkle the apples evenly on top.

Starting at the bottom, roll up the dough into a large log.

Cut this into 12 (roughly) even pieces—I like to cut it in half, and then make 6 even slices from each half.

Place these rolls into a well-buttered baking dish.

Allow to rise again, until the cinnamon rolls are all squished together.

Now you have two options—you may either 1. Bake right away, or 2. Put in the refrigerator overnight for the following morning.

If you decide to reserve until the following morning, or at least a few hours, do not let rise a second time and immediately put in the fridge after you put the rolls in the buttered dish.

If you decide to bake them right away, preheat your oven to 375˚ F.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool just slightly, and enjoy!

Bon Appétit!

As Christmas approaches, my need for buttery, gooey breakfast pastries skyrockets. Between croissants, morning buns, pain au chocolate, cinnamon rolls, an unhealthy amount is consumed. Maybe it’s because while I am home for a few days, I need to get my Standard Baking Company fix, or that because I make sticky buns each year for Christmas morning, I just feel the need to carbo-load for weeks in advance. Whatever the reason, I had the urge to welcome a new cinnamon roll into our family!

The other night while Roberto and I were enjoying our bi-weekly pizza Friday, I started daydreaming about cinnamon rolls. Like, they literally took over every thought of mine. Gingerbread rolls? Toasted oat rolls? Apple butter filling? Brown sugar bacon rolls?! We have a winner!

How had I never thought of this before? The smell of bacon just screams breakfast, plus it’s extra yummy when coated in cinnamon sugar and wrapped in a cozy, buttery dough. Besides, I figure if you’re going to go all out with breakfast, especially on Christmas morning, a little bacon never hurt anyone—even throw in a few mimosas and possibly a gingerbread cookie while you’re at it!

This recipe starts with a very simple yeast dough—flour, milk, yeast, some sugar. Plus you will, most likely, have all of the ingredients in your pantry already! What else is so great? This should be started the night before you want to serve them, so take a couple of hours out of your day, prep the rolls, stick them in the fridge, and violà! The next morning you just have to pull them out of the refrigerator, let them come to room temperature and bake away!

So, while sticky buns may have been the tradition for the past few years on Christmas morning, I think that these cinnamon rolls may be taking the lead this year. A little less butter, a little more bacon, and a lot more love to surround you and yours on Christmas day!

Luckily, my first wedding dress fitting is the day after Christmas; I hope they can wiggle me into it!

dough ingredients

Milk (110-115˚F)—4 oz, or ½ C

Molasses—1.5 oz, or 2 TBL

Sugar—4 oz, or ½ C

Yeast—0.25 oz, or 1 TBL

Butter, softened—4 oz, or ½ C

Eggs, beaten—2

Milk—4 oz, or ½ C

Flour—17.5 oz-20 oz, or 3 ½-4 C

dough process

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the warm milk, sugar, molasses and yeast.

Mix just to combine, and allow this to sit for about 10 minutes.

The yeast will begin to activate and become foamy—if not, then you have either not made the milk warm enough, so the yeast will take slightly longer, or you have overheated your milk, killing the yeast and you will have to start again!

After the 10 minutes, attach the dough hook to your mixer, and add in the eggs, butter and second milk. Mix.

With your mixer on low, slowly add in the flour.

Mix for 10 minutes on medium speed. This will really knead your dough and give it the wonderfully soft texture that you will soon taste!

After the 10 minutes, if your dough is too sticky to handle, add in a Tablespoon at a time more flour.

It is okay if this dough is slightly stickier than most yeast dough that you make, but if it’s really stuck to the sides of the bowl, more flour will be needed!

Transfer your dough to a well-oiled bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm room so that it can double in size—about 2 hours.

While this is happening, you may prep your filling below!

filling ingredients

Bacon, cooked—½#

Brown Sugar—6 oz, or 1 C

Butter, softened—5.5 oz, or 2/3 C

Cinnamon—1 oz, or 2 ½ TBL

Nutmeg—½ tsp

Allspice—½ tsp

filling process

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar.

Once smooth, add in the spices.

When you are ready to make the rolls, take your risen dough and put on a well floured surface.

Knead just slightly with your hands.

Roll into a large, 10” x 24” rectangle.

Spread the filling all over the rolled dough.

Sprinkle the bacon evenly on top.

Starting from the bottom, roll upwards, very tightly.

Cut into about 2” thick slices.

Place into a well-buttered baking dish.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and stick in the refrigerator overnight to rise again.

If you are looking to make these the same day, you can let them rise out of the fridge.

The next morning, when you are ready to bake these for breakfast, take out of the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature.

If you preheat your oven to 250˚ F and let your rolls sit on top of the oven, they will warm up faster before you bake them!

When they are ready to be baked, bump your oven up to 375˚ F and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for just a few minutes, and then either top them all with the frosting recipe below, or serve and allow people to frost their own buns!