Honey Pumpkin Rolls

Ingredients

2 packets active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

6 cups bread flour

2 cups mashed pumpkin

1 cup whole buttermilk

8 tablespoons melted butter, room temp
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg, room temp, beaten

1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, choppeded

1/2 cup pecan pieces

Directions

Pulse pecans and rosemary together in a food blender until fine.  Don't pulse too long or pecans will become oily.  

Place yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of tepid-warm water, stir and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.  Be sure water is not hot or you will kill the yeast.  

Mix salt and flour together in a large bowl.  Add the yeast, pumpkin, buttermilk, butter, honey and egg and mix well.

Place dough on a floured surface and knead.  Add a little extra flour if needed to work dough but not too much, dough should be sticky in the middle.  Lightly flour the top and bottom of the dough.   

Place in a lightly buttered large bowl, cover and place in a warm area.  Let dough double in size, about an hour.  Once the dough has risen, punch a whole in the center and place on a floured surface.  You can either flatten dough out into a 1 inch thickness and cut out with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, biscuit style or cut the dough out and roll into balls.  

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with and let rise again.  Brush rolls with egg and lightly sprinkle on rosemary pecan mixture.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Serve with soft butter & honey.  

Makes 3 dozen 

Honey Pumpkin Sliders

Turkey, sliced thin

Cooked bacon

Apricot spread, recipe below

Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sage, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

8 ounce block of cream cheese, room temp

Heat olive oil over medium low and add herbs.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in apricot preserves and balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute.  Fold warm preserves into cream cheese.  Cut honey pumpkin rolls in half, pile on turkey, top with bacon slices and spread top of roll with herbed apricot spread.