keep your diet real

I’m afraid that I may have tarnished my credibility as a nutrition professional by posting this recipe…

If I have, oh well. It was worth it. These cinnamon buns are that good.

My friend Sue, who is also a dietitian, shares the same philosophy on food, “every now and then you need to give your system a good jolt.” This kind of thinking makes sense to me. However, I would like to emphasize the “every now and then” part of that statement. Otherwise, a diet built on cinnamon buns is a one-way ticket to insulin resistance.

I wish that I knew how to photograph smell and taste. Since I am unaware of how to do that, I will encourage you to make these cinnamon buns for yourself. This recipe makes 16 cinnamon buns, so unless you are feeling particularly strong willed, I suggest sharing them with 15 of your closest friends. Trust me, you do not want to end up at the gym the next day in elastic waist pants and a B.U.M Equipment sweatshirt desperately trying to peddle off the calories from a half dozen cinnamon buns. It’s not a pretty sight…

Ingredients

• 1 cup of milk (I use 1%)
• 3 tablespoons of butter (unsalted)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ cup of white sugar
• 4 cups of all-purpose flour (unbleached)
• ½ cup canned pumpkin (you can also use fresh roasted pumpkin that has been pureed but you will need to use a little more because it is not as dense)
• 1 ½ packets of yeast (rapid-rise) about 2 ½ teaspoons
• 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of ground nutmeg
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature ( ½ stick for the filling and ½ stick for the frosting)
• 4 ounces of cream cheese
• 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

Directions

Pumpkin Dough

1. In the microwave, heat the milk and 3 tablespoons of butter in a glass measuring cup or a small glass bowl (about 30 seconds)
2. Pour this mixture into a large mixing bowl.
3. To this mixture, add the white sugar, salt, yeast, egg, and pumpkin, then mix (about 1-2 minutes). You can use a wooden spoon or an electric mixer for the next few steps.
4. Next, add 3 cups of flour (one cup at a time) mixing after the addition of each cup (about 3 minutes total).
5. Continue to add flour to the mixture until it forms a ball. This dough tends to be very sticky so do not be afraid to add more flour a little bit at a time until you are able to knead the dough.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface.
7. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. The dough should become more elastic.
8. Make a ball with the dough and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Now cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let it sit for 90 minutes until it has doubled in size

Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

1. Once the 90 minutes is up…remove the dough from the bowl and place back on a lightly floured surface and punch it. It’s ok to pretend that it’s someone who made you angry. It’s only dough.
2. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches x 10 inches and then spread some butter all over the surface.
3. In the mean time, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate mixing bowl.
4. Spread the cinnamon mixture over the surface of the dough.
5. Roll the dough into a log beginning at one of the longer sides. Pinch and roll (like rolling up a sleeping bag).
6. Place the dough with the seam side down and slice in half. Then slice each side into 8 equal slices. There should be about 16 cinnamon buns total.
7. Butter a baking dish and place the cinnamon buns into the dish (the pieces should be touching).
8. Cover this baking dish with plastic wrap and a towel and allow the dough to rise for another hour.
9. Place the baking dish into the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The tops should be golden brown and your kitchen should smell like Heaven.
10. Place the baking dish on the counter and allow the cinnamon buns to cool for 20 minutes.

Pecan, Raisin, Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Now you can make the frosting! Combine the cream cheese, vanilla extract, ½ stick of butter, and confectioner’s sugar in a large mixing bowl and mix for 3-5 minutes until smooth.
2. Add the raisins and pecans.
3. Pour this frosting over the cinnamon buns in the dish. Sprinkle a few extra raisins and pecans over the top of each cinnamon bun. Enjoy! These taste sensational with a glass of milk or a cup of tea.

This post was recently featured on Bouchonfor2.com under pumpkin baked goods in the post for October 20, 2009.

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