Pumpkin Yeast Rolls + Pumpkin Butter | Secret Recipe Club

It can’t be September already?  Why does time seem to fleet past us at such a rapid pace? It is approximately the third Monday of each month that I anticipate in the Secret Recipe Club monthly reveal of group C’s posts.  If you are not familiar with the Secret Recipe Club, it is a group of talented food bloggers who are paired each month with another blogger to select and prepare a recipe from their blog.  On reveal day, each food blogger eagerly awaits to see who they were paired with and what that person selected.  It is a whole lot of fun and if you are interested in joining, simply click on the link to learn more.

This month I was paired with Kate from Kate's Kitchen.  I was excited to learn that I was paired with Kate, since I have enjoyed her blog for several years.  Kate is a financial planner who lives to cook.  She and her hubby Connie love to cook, garden, and travel, watching Colts football and Red Sox baseball and going to the Civic theater to take in a show.  Kate has a vast array of recipes on her site which made it hard to choose one. 

With Labor Day behind us, the changing of the seasons is happening.  The days are getting shorter. The days are still warm yet the nights have a particular crisp sensation.  The light has a different filter.  The scent of fall is apparent in the air.  Halloween decorations line the shelves.  Pumpkins are popping up everywhere – in stores, recipes and Pinterest.  Fall is almost officially here.

Once I spied Kate’s Pumpkin Yeast Rolls, I knew that would be the recipe.  My hubby adores fall and especially anything with pumpkin.  These light yeasty delights would be the entrée to fall.  They were so simple to make and the result was just perfect.  Pumpkin butter has been on my bucket list for a while.  Since I had leftover pumpkin puree – what better way to utilize it, then creating some pumpkin butter to go along with these heavenly rolls.  Fall has officially begun!

Pumpkin Yeast Rolls

1 (¼  oz) package active dry yeast

¼ C. Warm water

½ C. Milk

½ C. Pumpkin

1/3 C. Sugar

1 t. Salt

4 T. Butter

2 ½ C. All purpose Flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  The temperature should be about 105 degrees.  Set aside.  Next you want to scald the milk.

Add the pumpkin, sugar, salt and butter to the scalded milk.  Remove from the heat and the butter should melt from the heat.  Add to the burner if needed to complete the butter melting process.

Add the yeast and water to the pumpkin mixture and stir.  Put 2 ½ cups flour in a large bowl.  Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour and mix well. 

Put the roll dough on a floured board and knead it until it is smooth and elastic.  Add more flour as needed.  Oil a medium sized bowl and place the dough in there.  Cover it and put it in a warm place to allow it to rise until it has doubled in size – about 1 to 2 hours.

Punch it down and move it to a floured board.  Divide the dough into 12 equal portions or 24 if you want smaller rolls and shape into balls.  Place the rolls into a greased 9x13 pan. 

Cover the pan and allow the rolls to double in size.  The rolls will touch and that is perfect.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.  Serve with pumpkin butter.

Pumpkin Butter

.

14 oz. pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sparkling apple cider
1 teaspoons ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg

¾  C. sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 20 minutes, or until mixture thickens. Let cool to room temperature. Pack into storage containers and refrigerate for up to a month. Pumpkin butter can also be frozen for up to 6 months.