I can be a pretty tense person. Like, Woody Allen walking on a tightrope above a pool filled with snapping alligators kind of tense. My mind tends to trudge forward at warp speed into stress zones of all kinds. But fall...a time of horror flicks, cold craft beers, Halloween decor, beautiful scenery, haunted houses, and pumpkin treats...it tends to make me feel like a kid again. Every August I get a giddy, butterfly filled stomach just in anticipation of what's to come. I start obsessively reloading the websites of my favorite beer distributors, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my favorite pumpkin beers. I do a weekly check at BloodyDisgusting.com to see what horror films are coming to theaters soon, and I start daydreaming about what my apartment is going to look like this Halloween. Basically, everything in my mind finally slows down a bit to banish worries and make way for some fervent fall planning. So snark away internet, but this season shall be mine! Muhahahaha!
Um, yeah, so after that awkward, no-so-evil evil laugh, let's get back on track. Pumpkin! Oh how I love thee, with your subtle flavor and vibrant orange color. I have vowed to attempt a gazillion more pumpkin recipes this year than I have in the past. So far, I'm two for two on delicious desserts. The photo above is the end result of a sinfully delicious batch of pumpkin cinnamon rolls. The recipe can be found at the lovely and beautifully photographed cooking blog Smitten Kitchen.
It was only my second time making cinnamon rolls (the last time being nearly ten years ago), so I was a bit nervous about the actual formation of the rolls. You see, I tend to be reallllyyy clumsy, so all manner of delicate kitchen operations can end in pain, blood, and a string of curses unfit for virgin ears. "But it's not my fault, I swear! I didn't drop the knife, it JUMPED out of my hands and attacked me," I shout at the inanimate objects in my kitchen.
In all seriousness though, the formation step of the rolls went perfectly, and the end product was phenomenal. So gooey, cinnamony, and sweet with just a subtle undertone of pumpkiny deliciousness (you can just add -y on the end of things and it doesn't sound like I'm 4 right? right? Joss Whedon does it, so it's good enough for me). The only thing I changed was the icing. I know people go nuts for cream cheese icing, but, as a person that's not that much of a fan of cream cheese to begin with, I really don't understand why it should make its way into my sweets.
I ended up making a sort of vanilla buttercream that was more sugar and less butter. The proportions I used are as follows:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp cream
It was nice and thick and struck a perfect balance between forming a semi-hard coating and melting down the sides. Of course, the rolls were practically begging to be paired with a dark, strong pumpkin ale. I chose Weyerbacher's Imperial Pumpkin Ale, which is definitely one of my favorites. So many breweries focus on the spice aspect and get it all wrong, ending up with an artificial tasting and usually clove heavy beer. The Weyerbacher is much more focused on the pumpkin flavor with balanced hints of spice. Also, my enjoyment of it has nothing whatsoever to do with the high alcohol content (8% abv). No sirree.
I'll try to do a post soon about the second pumpkin dessert I made, provided my boyfriend and I don't eat it all before I can take photos. :)
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