I’m currently halfway through my first rural pharmacy rotation, which is located in Steamboat Springs, CO. My first two weeks here I experienced a picturesque Colorado fall with vibrant aspens, crisp air, and deep blue skies. I enjoyed the scenery over numerous runs and a 14.7 mile hike. This quickly came to an end with a few inches of snow that proceeded to knock all of the pretty yellow leaves off the aspens. The first snow melted quickly, and I was able to enjoy another week of mostly dry runs and hikes. However, it snowed Friday through Sunday this past weekend, is currently flurrying, and is forecasted to snow again tomorrow through Wednesday.
I know this is somewhat typical for Steamboat, but I’m soooo not ready for winter. Especially seeing as I don’t have my crockpot or other cookware currently with me for preparing cozy soups and stews. Even worse, I’m without my husband and snuggle puppies. They came up to visit this past weekend, and we had a lovely couple of days brunching at local restaurants, hiking in the magical fresh snow, and cuddling up with our puppies in our hotel at night, ordering delivery and catching up on TV shows. It was hard to see them go, but I only have 9 more weeks of rural rotations (my next rotation is in Buena Vista, CO). I return home a few days before Christmas and am thankfully home for the remainder of my rotations.
Although we’re on the tail end of fall here in Steamboat, I thought I would try to squeeze in a pumpkin post. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t feel pumpkin itself has much flavor. However, I greatly appreciate the vibrant orange color and cozy spices that usually accompany it. I’ve been making these rolls for a few years now, and I’m always pleased with how they turn out. They are a perfect accompaniment to Thanksgiving dinner. Watch the baking time though, as they dry out quickly.
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
6 Tbsp (90 g) packed light brown sugar
½ cup + 1 Tbsp warm water (130 mL)
1¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
½ cup unsalted butter, softened, divided
4 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed*
cinnamon honey butter, optional
Directions:
2. Mix in salt, spices, egg and yolk, and pumpkin puree. Add 1/4 cup of the butter and 2 cups of the flour and mix until well blended.
3. Set mixer with hook attachment and slowly add in remaining flour. Knead on low speed until fairly smooth and somewhat elastic, about 5 minutes, adding in more flour as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. The pumpkin will give the dough a slightly sticky texture – it should stick to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides. Transfer to a large oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until double in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll one portion into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Rub 2 tablespoons of butter evenly over the circle, then cut into 12 even wedges using a pizza cutter. Starting on the long edge, roll up each piece. Transfer rolls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, shaping each to form a crescent. Cover rolls loosely with greased plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes – 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 375 °F during last 20 minutes of rising. Uncover rolls and bake in preheated oven about 12 – 14 minutes, just until lightly golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm with cinnamon honey butter.
* I often need at least 4½ cups
Yield: 24 rolls
(Recipe from Cooking Classy)
A Palate For Pie 