This is a cinnamon roll recipe with a homemade apple pie filling in the center, topped with a maple glaze. It is truly delicious. I use my challah bread recipe for the dough, as is it velvety and very soft.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
INGREDIENTS:
Challah bread dough:
1 ½ cups warm water
½ cup honey
1 tbsp oil
4 eggs
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp yeast
7-8 cups flour
Mix together all ingredients, except for flour. Add the flour, cup by cup, until the dough comes together enough to start pulling aside from the bowl. Pour out onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour as you go to keep it smooth and not sticking to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes. Put dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover top with plastic wrap. Allow to proof until the dough has almost doubled, about 1 ½ hours. While the dough is proving, make the apple pie filling below.
Homemade apple pie filling:
5-6 apples, peeled and cored
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
dash of ground cloves
-------
1 tbsp water
2 tsp cornstarch
-------
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
HOW TO PREPARE:
Chop apples into small pieces and put in a medium saucepan. Stir in lemon juice. Add 3 tbsp butter and turn stove onto medium heat. After the butter has melted, stir in brown sugar, water, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Cook on medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together water and cornstarch. Add to saucepan and stir frequently until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract.
Once the bread dough has risen, sprinkle flour on your countertop and roll out the challah bread into a big rectangle. Spread apple pie filling all over. Roll up and cut into 2 inch wide pieces. Place in very large greased pan OR in two greased 13x9" pans. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until rolls are brown and cooked through.
Maple glaze:
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp maple flavoring
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Milk
Stir together the powdered sugar, maple and vanilla extracts. Then add milk, a little at a time, stirring until you reach a good pouring consistency. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add more milk. Pour glaze over hot apple cinnamon rolls.
