Apple Cranberry Cinnamon Buns Food

APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat milk to about 95°F (35°C)- use microwave or stovetop. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment (OR you can use a handheld mixer OR no mixer, but a stand mixer is ideal). With a whisk, manually whisk in the sugar and yeast. Cover with a towel and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5-10 minutes. If the yeast does not dissolve and foam, start over with fresh active yeast. On low speed, beat in the softened butter until it is slightly broken up. Next add the eggs, one at a time, and then the salt. The butter won't really be mixing into the mixture, so don't be alarmed if it stays in pieces. On low speed, gradually add the flour. Once it is all added, beat on medium speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 6 minutes longer. *If you do not have a stand-mixer with a hook attachment, knead the dough by hand in this step.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands for 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap, a paper towel, or aluminum foil and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours. Here's what I do: turn the oven on to 200°F (93°C). Once heated to that temperature, turn the oven off. Stick the covered dough inside the oven and allow it to rise in this warm environment.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down and, using a rolling pin, roll into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick.
• Spread the softened butter all over the dough. In a small bowl, toss the brown sugar and cinnamon together until combined and then sprinkle evenly over the dough. Top evenly with chopped apples. Tightly roll up the dough to form an 18-inch-long log. Cut into 12 equal rolls. Arrange them in the prepared baking pan. Cover the rolls very tightly with aluminum foil.
• Allow rolls to rise in a warm environment again for about 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Bake rolls for about 25 minutes until they are golden brown. About halfway through the bake time, I like to cover the rolls loosely with aluminum foil so the tops don't brown too much. Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
• Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and drizzle over warm rolls. Serve warm. Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

CINNAMON APPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the cranberry juice, cranberries, cinnamon and sugar. Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have softened and apples are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Remove 8 ounces of the liquid to a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch. Slowly add the cornstarch-juice mixture (slurry) to the cranberry mixture, stirring constantly. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl. Refrigerate until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and serve.

APPLE CRANBERRY CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• For dough, sprinkle yeast over warm water with 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add remaining sugar, flour, buttermilk, salt and egg yolks, and stir until well combined. Transfer mixture to an electric mixer with a dough hook and beat in butter, a few pieces at a time, on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Scrape dough from side of bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Set bowl in a warm place for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
• For filling, stir together cranberries with apples in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom.
• Grease a 9 x 13 in (23 x 33 cm) baking pan. Transfer dough onto a floured surface and roll out into a 16 x 12 in (40 x 30 cm) rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter, leaving an unbuttered ½ in (12 mm) border on long sides. Sprinkle fruit filling evenly over buttered area and then sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over filling. Roll up shorter side of dough, like a jelly roll, and pinch to seal edge firmly. Cut into 12 even pieces and arrange, cut sides down, in baking pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let buns rise in a warm place for 45 to 50 minutes or until they have doubled in size.
• While buns are rising, preheat oven to 350º F (175º C). Bake buns in middle of oven until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer buns to a rack and cool slightly before serving.

CRANBERRY CINNAMON BUNS

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together warm water, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over.)
• Put 5 cups flour, salt, and remaining sugar in bowl of electric mixer and mix with dough hook at low speed until combined. Whisk together milk and eggs in a small bowl, then add to dry ingredients along with yeast, beating at low speed until flour is incorporated. Beat at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add butter and continue beating at medium speed until dough is smooth, soft, and elastic, about 4 minutes (it will be quite sticky).
• Rinse a large bowl with hot water. Add dough to wet bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prepare filling:
• Bring water and 1 cup granulated sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and simmer just until they begin to burst, about 2 minutes. Pour through a large sieve into a bowl and cool berries, reserving syrup for another use (such as a flavoring for seltzer).
• Form and bake buns:
• Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and dust with flour, then roll out into a 16-inch square.
• Brush off excess flour, then spread evenly with butter with a small metal offset spatula.
• Stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar and sprinkle evenly over dough. Dot dough evenly with drained cranberries, then sprinkle with nuts if using.
• Beginning with side nearest you, roll up dough, firmly but not tightly, into a log, then pinch seam to seal. Trim 1 inch off each end with a large knife and discard, then cut log crosswise into 12 slices.
• Arrange slices, cut sides up, in buttered cake pans (place 1 slice in center of each pan, then evenly space 5 more around it). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F while buns are rising.
• Bake buns in lower third of oven until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Make glaze:
• Stir together confectioners sugar and milk with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over buns while still hot.
• Serve buns warm or at room temperature.