Ingredients
Smoked apples:
5 Apples peeled, cored and sliced (I used Gala)
1 cup of Brown Sugar
2- 3 teaspoons of Cinnamon
1 cup of Butter; cubed.
Cinnamon buns:
Dough:
1 cup of whole milk
2 packets of instant yeast
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
4 cups of all purpose flour
Filling:
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 ounces butter softened
Smoked cream cheese frosting:
8 oz smoked cream cheese
½ cup butter softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1.5oz Texas Pepper Jelly Apple Cinnamon Rib Candy. (Plus more for glazing the cinnamon buns)
For the smoked apples and cream cheese:
1. Start up your Traeger to 180 degrees and let it heat up. I used my Ironwood 885.
2. Cut up your cream cheese for the frosting into smaller pieces and place on a parchment lined baking pan.
3. Mix together your apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar then spread them out onto a baking sheet. Feel free to adjust the cinnamon and sugar to your preference. Place your butter all around the apples.
4. Smoke your apple mixture and your cream cheese on super smoke for about an hour at 180 degrees. Or until your desired smokiness. Stir your apples halfway through. Remove your cream cheese then turn the heat up to 350 degrees and let the apples cook until soft, continuing to stir periodically to ensure they are cooking evenly. Remove when soft and let cool.
For the dough:
1. Heat milk in the microwave to 105 degrees, about 45 seconds. Use a thermometer to make sure it is not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Add brown sugar and yeast. Pour into a stand mixer and set aside for 5 minutes or so, until the yeast is nice and frothy.
Add the sugar, softened butter, whole egg, and egg yolks and mix until soupy. Add 2 cups of flour and salt and mix with the paddle attachment on low until combined.
Scrape down the bowl and paddle and switch to the dough hook attachment. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour and mix on low for 6 minutes, until the dough is nice and smooth and comes away from the bowl as it kneads. It should come together nicely and be very slightly tacky.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise for about 2 hours or you can place it into the fridge overnight. Let warm on the counter for about an hour prior to rolling out.
Once ready to roll out turn out on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin roll into an 18×12 inch rectangle.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Using your fingers or spatula, spread the softened butter evenly for the filling across the dough. Sprinkle the sugar mixture across the dough evenly. Place your smoked apples evenly around the surface.
Starting from the bottom, roll the dough up making sure to keep it snug and tight. Using a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss, cut into 12 even rolls. Place evenly spaced in an oiled 9×13 pan and let rise for about an hour in an oven with the light on. I also like to place a pan with hot water underneath to add moisture and warmth.
8. Preheat your Traeger to 350 degrees. Remove butter and the smoked cream cheese from the fridge and allow to soften on the counter top.
When the smoker has reached temp and the rolls are barely touching, bake for 30-35 minutes. Near the end of baking brush on some Cinnamon Apple Rib Candy over the top of the buns. If the tops are browning too quickly, placing a sheet of foil over them can prevent further browning while the rest of the rolls finish baking.
While the rolls are baking, prepare your cream cheese icing. In the bowl of your mixer add cream cheese and butter. Whip together using the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add in your Cinnamon Apple rib candy and 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Add an additional 1 cups of powdered sugar (more if you like thicker frosting), and salt. Mix at medium/high speed until light and fluffy.
Spread the icing liberally across the almost completely cooled cinnamon rolls.
Serve and enjoy!