These rolls have been a long time coming. Last fall, my mom and I were talking about apples and what would taste good with them. Mom said, wouldn’t a cinnamon roll with apples and cheese be delicious? I knew she was on to something, but time and life put the idea on the shelf until this week. With nothing more than a vague idea of how I wanted them to turn out, I gathered ingredients and went to town.
Along the way, I realized that these rolls could lean either sweet or savory. I decided to do both, but would really recommend that you only go one way or the other at a time…I went a little overboard in my exuberance. By putting a cream cheese glaze on the top, they became dessert (or breakfast), but by adding a little rosemary to the apple filling, they went savory. See what I mean? It just may have been too much all at once. Then again, maybe it wasn’t. They were really, really good. And different.
1. Info for Apple Cheddar Sticky Buns
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: unavailable
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Apple Cheddar Sticky Buns
- for the dough: (adapted from Mott’s applesauce)
- 4 cups AP flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 large egg, beaten
- for the apples:
- 6 apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1 stick butter
- 2-3 tsp cinnamon (according to taste)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- ⅓ cup agave nectar (or ½ cup brown sugar)
3. Directions:
- Combine milk and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until the butter is melted.
- Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the applesauce, sugar and salt.
- Stir to mix.
- Add the egg.
- Add the yeast and let the mixture bubble slightly.
- Using a dough hook attachment, mix in the flour and knead until smooth.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about an hour).
- Punch down and roll out into a large rectangle.
- Melt the butter in a skillet.
- Add the apples, cinnamon and salt and saute until starting to soften.
- Add the sugar, stir and cover.
- Cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, uncover and let cool.
- to assemble:
- Using a slotted spoon or sieve, transfer just the apples (not the sauce) to the rectangle of dough.
- Spoon them on evenly.
- Chop up an 8 ounce block of extra sharp cheddar cheese into tiny cubes and sprinkle them over the apples.
- Roll them up, jelly roll style and cut.
- Pour the remaining syrup from the apples into the bottom of a greased 9X13 pan.
- Place the cut rolls onto the syrup (if there are a few apple pieces that end up remaining in the syrup, don’t worry).
- Cover and let rise another 30-45 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the buns from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
- After 5 minutes, invert onto a platter.
- After another 10 minutes, separate them and serve.
- If desired, drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar moistened with vanilla and water or milk until runny).
- They are plenty good without it, but some in my family don’t understand the concept of a cinnamon-y roll without frosting.