caramel apple sticky buns.

so i am on a cinnamon roll kick. i made those amazingly easy and amazingly delicious traditional rolls last week and have been craving cinnamon rolls ever since. earlier this week, i tried to make dough for icebox rolls that look similar to the recipe that we have for our mama's cinnamon roll dough. however, it didn't go so well. i am not sure if the recipe is missing something or what but it was too flour-ey. i hadn't even put all the flour the recipe called for and i knew this wasn't going to work out. so it got pitched. maybe i'll mess with it another time. but for now i have a recipe that does work. the pioneer woman is one of my heroes. she is amazing. her pictures are phenomenal. and everything i have ever made of hers has been to die for. so i decided to give her cinnamon rolls a try. and that's when i found these babies. i even had a granny smith apple waiting in my fridge. i knew i was meant to make these. this recipe is halved from her original cinnamon roll dough and it still makes two cake pans full. so i suggest, for your thighs sake, you either have lots of friends around to eat the rolls with you, or you make friends with random strangers...they will love you forever. i promise. 

caramel apple sticky buns + printable version

dough:  
2 cups whole milk
1-¼ cup sugar
½ cups canola oil
1 package (2 1/4 Teaspoons) active dry yeast
4-½ cups flour, divided
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoons (scant) baking soda
½ teaspoons (heaping) baking powder
¾ cups melted butter
4 Tablespoons cinnamon

heat milk, oil, and 1/2 cup sugar until warm. do not boil - i used a candy thermometer to heat it to 185 F. allow to cool to lukewarm. i wait until it is around 105 F. sprinkle in yeast and 4 cups flour. stir gently and cover with a tea towel, allowing it to rise for 1 hour. after 1 hour, add remaining flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. set aside for later.

caramel topping:
1 stick salted butter
1-½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon dark brown corn syrup
2 Tablespoons cream
2 Tablespoons apply brandy or apple juice (optional - i didn't have any)
1 whole granny smith apple, peeled & finely diced  

add 1 stick butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, and optional apple brandy or apple juice. allow to melt over low heat until totally combined. boil for a few seconds, then remove from heat. set aside.

roll out half the dough into a large rectangle. pour on half the melted butter, half the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and half the cinnamon. roll into a long roll, then slice into rolls. i used my new favorite cinnamon roll cutting method -- dental floss! and repeat with the second half the dough.

spray two 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. pour in half the caramel topping in each pan. sprinkle half the diced apple over the top in each pan, then arrange sliced rolls all over the two pans. allow to rise for 20 to 30 minutes.

bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, covered in foil for the first 25 minutes. i actually cooked them for the entire 35 minutes.

invert on a cake pedestal or serving plate. let rolls cool slightly before serving.