Cinnamon-Swirl Pumpkin Rolls

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup canned pumpkin or canned squash
• 2 large eggs
• 2-4 tablespoons lukewarm water (adjust according to climate)
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour (or more all-purpose flour)
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder or Baker's Special Dry Milk (or use milk instead of the water listed above)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional) or minced crystallized ginger (optional) or raisins (optional) or chocolate chips (optional)

Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons milk (or enough to make a "drizzlable" glaze)
• chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients together — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until you've made a soft, fairly smooth dough.

2. 2

   Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours, until it's almost doubled in bulk.

3. 3

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface. Roll it into a 14" x 22" rectangle; the dough will be thin. Mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle a thin layer over the dough, leaving one short edge free of filling. Add crystallized ginger or dried fruit (or both), if desired.

4. 4

   Starting with the short end that's covered with filling, roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into twelve medium rolls (or 9 very large rolls).

5. 5

   Place the rolls into a lightly greased 9" x 9" pan that's at least 2" deep. Set aside, covered, to rise for 1 hour, or until the rolls look puffy.

6. 6

   Bake the rolls in a preheated 375°F oven for 25-30 minutes, until they're lightly browned and feel set. Remove them from the oven, and set on a rack. Turn them out of the pan, and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes. Towards the end of the cooling time, make the glaze.

7. 7

   To make the glaze: Heat the butter and milk together till the butter melts. Whisk into the sugar. Drizzle the warm rolls with the warm glaze. (For a glaze that stays white and remains on top of the rolls, rather than partially melting in, allow the rolls to cool completely before glazing.) Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.