I originally started making these rolls years ago when my mom said that she was going to get a pack of heat-and-serve rolls at the store for Thanksgiving because she had too much else to make. I jumped at the chance to contribute to Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t know how or why I decided on pumpkin rolls, but somehow I found this epicurious recipe and over the years have made some key changes to make it my own. If you do choose to try them you will be rewarded with a dozen subtlety spiced orangey-gold rolls that have just a hint of pumpkin flavor. Perfect for any holiday meal.

The Recipe

1 package active dry yeast
1 T. sugar
1/3 c. milk
3 to 4 c. flour
3 T. brown sugar
2 t. nutmeg
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 t. salt
1 c. canned pumpkin (about half a can, use the rest for pumpkin pancakes? #yum)
1 egg
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted
egg or milk wash

Gently heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is barely warm or microwave it for 20-30 seconds. It’s important to make sure the milk doesn’t get too warm because hot milk will kill your yeast. Combine the warm milk, sugar and yeast in a cup and let the yeast activate for a few minutes.

You can prepare these rolls by hand with a lot of kneading. I recommend the stand mixer because it is much easier. But as with all my recipes, the choice is yours. Whisk the flour, spices, brown sugar and salt together in the bowl of your stand mixer or just in a large bowl if you are preparing them by hand.

Add in the wet ingredients one-by-one, starting with the milk, then the pumpkin, egg and finally the butter.

Mix on a low speed after each addition with the dough hook attachment or by hand, until you get a rough dough and all the flour is incorporated. If it is too wet add a little more flour. At this point if you are preparing by hand you can turn it out on a floured surface or keep it in the mixer and increase the speed, in either case kneading until you have a smooth and elastic dough.

Shape it until a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl with a bit of cling film or a tea towel covering it. This is when you leave it in a warm place to rise until it has doubled in bulk about 1-2 hours depending on the conditions in your kitchen (heat, moisture, disturbances, etc.)

Daphne’s Super Awesome Tip: Often times I find it difficult to prepare these rolls in the hustle and bustle of a Thanksgiving kitchen. To deal with this situation, I prepare this dough the evening before, just before I head off to bed. I leave it to “rise” overnight in the fridge. The cold retards the yeast just enough to give you a great rise if you take it out to warm up and rise further in the morning.

I’ve found that a12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray works great for baking these rolls. Deflate the dough and then divide it into 12 roughly even-sized pieces. Shape each piece of dough into your desired roll shape and place it in the muffin tin. I personally like the clover shape (divide the dough into 3 pieces, roll each piece into a ball and then stuff all 3 into one muffin cup) or the knot (shape the dough into a rope and then tie it into a knot).

Cover the rolls with a tea towel and then let it rise for another hour until they have doubled again. Remember to preheat the oven to 350° in the meantime. Egg or milk wash the rolls and then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Best enjoyed warm with a bit of butter or with cranberry relish.