Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Buns

I was planning an out of town trip with a friend and our kids and wanted something fun to eat for breakfast on the road. I decided to try these. As an afterthought, they are too messy for the driver to eat, but if you give the others theirs on a plate, it worked fine. We ended up having to cancel our trip, but we all were able to enjoy these any way. I loved that they were yeast free!!!

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Buns (www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com)

For the filling:

¾ c pumpkin puree

¼ c brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

¼ c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

For the dough:

2 ½ c all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ c buttermilk

6 Tbsp butter (divided into 2T/2T/2T and melted)

For the icing:

2 Tbsp butter

¼ c packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp milk

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Dash salt

¼ c to 1/3 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a round 9-inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. For the filling: combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl. Set aside. To make your dough: Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons melted butter to the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Add milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth. This took about 10 kneads for me (The original writer of recipe) Using your hands, pat the dough into a 12x9 rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, then spoon the pumpkin filling mixture on top, leaving ½ inch border around the edges. Sprinkle nuts over the top, if desired. Press the filling down lightly so it will stick to your dough. Starting with the long side of your dough, roll the dough to form a tight cylinder. Pinch the edge to seal. Using a sharp knife or dental floss, cut the dough into 8 equal segments. Slightly flatten each bun to seal your open edges and keep your filling inside. Put one roll in the center of a 9-inch cake pan. Place the remaining 8 buns around the perimeter of the pan. Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake until the edges of the buns are golden brown, 23-25 minutes. If desired, remove buns from pan to a wire rack. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before icing.

For the icing: Melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute, then add in vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar. Whisk until well blended. If needed, whisk in additional powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Remove from heat and drizzle over buns. Notes: As usual, I used part white and part whole wheat flour.  I also used fresh pumpkin puree. I had a little trouble with the dough. I had doubled the recipe, and I wonder if I didn’t put in enough flour as the dough was really sticky. I ended up adding more flour as I spread it out on the counter or I never would’ve been able to roll it.