Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

with Honey-Nut Topping

2  pkg.  Dry Yeast  (2 Tablespoons)

1/2  Cup  Warm Water

1/2  Cup  Sugar

2  Eggs

1  teaspoon  Salt

2/3  Cup  Butter, room temperature

1  Cup  Mashed Sweet Potatoes (instant is fine, but left-over candied Sweet Potatoes are preferred)

1  Cup  Milk, room temperature

2  Cups  Whole Wheat Flour

4 1/2  Cups  White Flour

Melted Butter, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon

Optional:  Dash Nutmeg, Dash Cloves, Chopped Pecans

Dissolve the Yeast and Sugar in Warm Water.  Beat in Eggs.  Add Salt, softened Butter, Sweet Potatoes, Milk, and 3 Cups Flour.  Beat well; stir in remaining Flour and mix well until smooth.  Let rise until almost doubled.  Punch down dough, knead 10-15 strokes; divide dough in half.  Roll out one half of the dough into a 12x18 rectangle; brush with Melted Butter.  Sprinkle with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, Dash each of Nutmeg and Cloves, and Chopped Pecans, as desired.  Roll up, starting at the 18-inch side.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Cut each log into 12 rolls; 24 rolls total.  Place in two greased 9x13 pans; let rise until almost doubled.  Bake at 375* for 20 minutes or less; check between 15-18 minutes.  Frost when cool if not using the Honey-Nut Topping (a Cream Cheese Frosting is especially yummy).  Serves 24, freezes very well.

Honey-Nut Topping

1/2  Cup  Butter

1/2  Cup  Brown Sugar

1/2  Cup  Honey

1/2 to 1  Cup  Chopped Pecans

Melt Butter in a small saucepan; stir in Brown Sugar and Honey.  Cook until Brown Sugar is dissolved and all ingredients are well blended.  Stir in Chopped Pecans.  Pour over Cinnamon Rolls half-way through baking (after 10 minutes) and continue baking as usual.  Enough for two 9x13 pans of Cinnamon Rolls.

This is a creation/adaption/collaboration recipe of mine.  It was originally a recipe for Potato Dinner Rolls (which you can revert back to, just use regular Potatoes and 100% White Flour; shape into dinner rolls)  which I created using leftover Sweet Potatoes, adapted to use part Whole-Wheat Flour, and collaborated with my sister-in-law Becky and her Honey-Nut Topping.

I've been a little reluctant to share this recipe; I keep thinking that someday a contest will come along and I can enter it...  That someday still hasn't came.  So, I guess you could say that you're the Winner!  :)  Enjoy!

Also, be certain that you use Brown Sugar, not White, for the Filling.  Here's why:  Brown Sugar melts with a caramel color, while White Sugar isn't as visible.  Folks will consistently say that the Cinnamon Roll made with Brown Sugar has 'more' filling in it than the Roll made with White Sugar, and thus will say it is the 'better' Roll because it has 'more' in it.  Tricks of the Trade, you know.  ;)

The leftover Sweet Potatoes had a crunchy-nut topping;

I love the way the nuts become a part of the dough.

Dough with Brown Sugar

vs.

Dough with White Sugar

I like to cut my dough first in half, then in quarters, and finally each quarter

into three rolls.  This way they are all the same size.

Ready for rising

Ready for the Oven!