If you can make cinnamon rolls, you can make these fresh apple sweet rolls.  The method is the same except that you use an apple pie filling made with fresh apples instead of a cinnamon-sugar mixture.  It makes really loaded, scrumptious sweet rolls.

You can use this same roll recipe and technique to make other sweet rolls with your choice of pie or pastry filling.

Apple Sweet Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour
  • 1/3 cup dry milk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dough conditioner
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1 3/4 cups water at 105°F
  • 1 7 gram packet yeast

For the apple pie filling: 

  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 large cooking apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the dough:

  1. If you are using instant-type yeast, combine approximately 1/3 of the flour, the water, and the yeast by beating it with a dough hook for 30 seconds or until combined. (Some types of yeast require proofing first.)
  2. Add the remainder of the ingredients and the softened butter and continue mixing for about five minutes at medium speed. The dough should be soft (but not too sticky to handle), smooth, and elastic. Water absorption may vary depending on climatic conditions. If you feel that the dough is too moist, add one or two tablespoons of flour. If it is too dry, you can dribble in a little water while running your stand-type mixer.
  3. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn once to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about one hour.

For the filling:

  1. Turn the dough onto a lightly greased work area. Roll the dough into a rectangle with the dough 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick.
  2. Heat the butter in the microwave until just melted.  Spread it on the rolled dough with a pastry brush.  Mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, diced apples, walnuts, and vanilla.
  3. Spread the apple filling (or other filling of your choice) on the dough rectangle and distribute it evenly to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Roll the dough into a jelly roll.
  4. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the roll into twelve equal slices.  Place the rolls evenly on a greased 11 x 17-inch baking pan.  Press the rolls to flatten them, if necessary, so that they touch.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled again, about an hour.  Allow plenty of time to rise.  The dough should be soft and puffy.
  5. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned. When they are baked, remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack.  When using a metal pan, remove the rolls from the pan immediately. Metal pans cool quickly, causing the rolls to stick to the pan.

To Frost Your Apple Sweet Rolls

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Add the powdered sugar, dry milk, meringue powder, and vanilla to a medium bowl.  Add enough water, a tablespoon at a time, to make a spreadable frosting.  The frosting should be thick but spreadable.
  2. When you frost the rolls, the heat from the rolls will soften the frosting further and allow it to flow slightly.  The frosting will set as it cools. Frost the rolls while still warm.  Let the rolls stand for ten to fifteen minutes before serving.

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