I had a bunch of Butternut Squash and it was a nice flavorful sweet one so I thought it would be great baked into a dessert. Hard Squash is a food that is difficult to cut threw. You need strength and a good heavy sharp knife.  Many people don’t have a good enough knife and many people also don’t have the strength to prepare hard squash. There was some sort of article published that hard squash is the one food that sends the most people to the emergency room with kitchen cut injuries. When I cook a hard squash I usually cook it the safest way. I just remove any stickers and wash the squash well. I give it a couple of fork pierces and set the squash in a pan with a little water and then cover it with foil and cook it in a 350 degree F oven until the squash is for tender. Depending on the size of the squash that will take between 45 minutes to one hour and one half. When the squash is cool enough to handle split the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then scoop out the flesh. The Butternut Squash Cinnamon Rolls are delicious! The butternut Squash doesn’t add much flavor but makes the dough seem much richer than it is. Don’t get the wrong idea this still isn’t dieter food but if I didn’t add the squash I would have used more butter, sugar and eggs in this recipe. The Cinnamon Rolls are sweet but not too sweet because my husband isn”t someone who really likes sweets and he even he thinks these are just delicious. I think they are the just right sweetness for Cinnamon Rolls and the spice gives them the right kick and makes them sassy. These Cinnamon rolls are hard to stop eating. If you like Cinnamon Rolls you will like these.

Ingredients for 24 servings recipe makes 12 large rolls but I feel 1/2 a roll is a serving.

4 cups bread flour – dough ingredient (plus extra to rest the dough ball in)

1 Tablespoon salt – kosher or sea salt – dough ingredient

1 3/4 cup cooked butternut squash – heated up – dough ingredient

1 packet yeast – dough ingredient

1/4 cup sugar – dough ingredient

1 Tablespoon cinnamon – dough ingredient

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg – fresh – dough ingredient

2 oz unsalted butter – melted – dough ingredient

1 XL egg – beaten – dough ingredient

4 oz unsalted butter – for the filling

1/2 cup sugar – for the filling

1/2 cup dark brown sugar – for the filling

3 Tablespoons cinnamon – I used Vietnamese, this is for the filling

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg – fresh – for the filling

1/4 teaspoon salt – kosher or sea salt – for the filling

non-stick neutral – canola or vegetable – for the pan

2 oz unsalted butter – room temperature – for the frosting

1/2 teaspoon vanilla – for the frosting

pinch nutmeg – fresh – for the frosting

pinch sea salt

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Put all your dry dough ingredients in to your mixing bowl from your stand mixer. Stir in squash, melted butter and then mix till just mixed in. Now slowly add your beaten egg and mix on medium/high for about five minutes or until the dough cleans it’s self off the bowl and is like elastic. Make the dough into a ball shape and put in a large floured bowl. Cover the dough with a little flour and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm place till doubled in size.

Make the filling – combine ingredients in a small bowl and set to the side.

Punch the dough down and knead it a bit and then roll the dough out thinly. You might want to use a little of the flour from the bowl for dusting your rolling surfaces.

Spread out your filling on the dough.

Roll up the dough.

Move the dough to a surface that you can cut on and cut the roll in half and then each half into thirds and then cut each third in half. You will end up with twelve rolls.

Spray your pan (s) with nonstick spray. Place your four biggest rolls in the corners of the pan if you are using a square pan and the smallest pieces in the center.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place till the dough doubles.

At this time you can put your pan in a preheated 350 degree F oven. The rolls will be done in 20-25 minutes. Mine looked perfect at 23 minutes.

While your Cinnamon Rolls are baking prepare the frosting. Just mix all the frosting ingredients together and put in a disposable pastry bag. Cut the tip off and squirt on however you like.

Have a piece. They are moist sweet and full of cinnamon and are really delicious. I think everyone will love them.