You know that you have an awesome mom when…

She serves you brownie bites and milk for a bedtime snack and lets you fall asleep watching 101 Dalmations, for the 3rd time in one evening.

She makes you fresh orange juice to go with your breakfast

And makes you share with your sister.

She takes you out for a long walk and listens to your made up silly songs that are sung over and over and giggled about the whole entire way.

She lets your pixie hollow friends join you for lunch.

And allows you to wear your jammies all day long.

You dance the afternoon away to Aerosmith’s “Dude Looks Like A Lady” and snack on “Elmos” (AKA Almonds)

She decides to make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls and lets you ‘help’

taste test…

and even take pictures!

THAT would be one awesome mom!!! 🙂

Glazed Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 6 jumbo cinnamon rolls

Dough

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar, brown sugar, sucanat or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup sunflower oil
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Filling

• 1 cup sucanat or organic brown sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (we love lots)
• 1/4 cup non-dairy margarine
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

* You could also just spread on the margarine and top the dough with brown sugar and cinnamon. We like to do that a lot of the time too instead of making the Cinnamon Filling. 🙂

Cinnamon Glaze

• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Combine the yeast, cane sugar and warm water together in a large mixing bowl and let sit 5 minutes, until foamy. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, milk, and oil, add the pumpkin mixture to the foamy yeast mixture and mix until combined.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time to the rest of the ingredients, whisking in the first cup and stirring in the remaining two cups with a wooden spoon. Knead the dough in the bowl about ten times to incorporate the flour and form a nice ball of dough. Leave the dough in the bowl, cover with a dish towel and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

After the dough has risen and doubled in size, punch it down and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the cinnamon/sugar filling by stirring all of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until crumbly.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly  floured surface into a large rectangle and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture.

(and sneak a taste)

Cut into 6 even strips and then roll each strip into a bun, tucking the last inch of the dough under your formed bun. Place the buns into a casserole dish or onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle with some remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture and place in a warm place to rise another 25 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375°F during the last few minutes of rising time.

Once the buns have risen, place them in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden. While the buns are baking, prepare the cinnamon glaze, by mixing together the icing sugar, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.

Allow the buns to cool a little and then pour the cinnamon glaze on top.

Oohing and awwing is completely optional.

Serve warm to your smiling children (or self) with a nice glass of milk 🙂