The other day I switched the boob tube on to one of those cooking and travel shows. (Big surprise right?!). When what to my wondering eyes did appear…but apple pie cinnamon rolls in a bakery no where near here.
Christmas is definitely different this year. While visions of the Covid vaccine dance in our heads, we’re thinking about our friends and family who are staying safe at home. But that doesn’t mean we can’t settle our brains for a long winter’s look back.
I’ve done a lot of looking back this year…and trying to track down photos. Son A was born in the years before digital photos were the norm. Several scrapbooks are filled with photos of his cute little red-head, cut out and adorned with decorative paper and stickers. Son B’s arrival, however, came when full digital downloads and disks were the fashion. As a result and unfortunately, years of our lives are nonexistent. I know I took pictures, but never moved them onto newer computers. Grr… But at the end of this wonky year, old negatives are digitized, safely stored onto a mobile hard-drive, and organized by year. And Son B will be getting his scrapbook…after 16 years…
Sleeves and sleeves of negatives… 
What a packrat!
Nestled all snug in their box, several photos caught my attention.
Each of these photos has two things in common–Son A and Southern Utah. More specifically Bryce Canyon. Visitors to Bryce Canyon focus on sites like these… (It’s really impossible to not!)
Navajo Loop Trail 
Wall Street 
Thor’s Hammer 
Sinking Ship with the Paunsaugunt Plateau in the Distance
But if you squint, you might see a little town off in the valley’s distance.
Nestled under the Paunsaugunt Plateau, the tiny town of Tropic sits. For out-of-towners headed to the Grand Staircase-Escalante or Capitol Reef National Park, it’s just a map dot or overnight waypoint on Scenic Byway 12. But for Tropic’s 500+ residents it’s home, including your’s truly and my Folks for several years.
Any traveler hellbent on keeping their itinerary and reservations in check has driven by these signs. Maybe thinking, “Tropic? There’s nothing tropical about this town.” If you’ve ever tried driving up “The Dump” (northbound Byway 12) in the winter, this icy area is anything but palm trees and coconuts. In summer and fall months, though, fruits, flowers and veggies flow out of this little valley. In fact, that’s how Tropic received its name–a place where folks would come to find orchards full of peaches, apples, grapes and such.
This particular part of Southern Utah is not known for having abundant water. In 1892, forty men diverted water from the East Fork of the Sevier River, down through Bryce Canyon and into the valley. A hike up to Mossy Cave reveals part of this ten-mile long canal, lovingly referred to as the “Tropic Ditch.” Today, folks in the area buy pricey water shares to keep lawns and orchards looking green.
View From “The Dump” 
Tropic Ditch near Mossy Cave
Back in the mid-1980’s, the Folks lived and worked in Bryce Canyon. They bought a little fixer-upper in Tropic thinking it would be their retirement haven. This two-story sanctuary, built in 1907, definitely needed modern upgrades. The Folks spent many nights, weekends, holiday-breaks and summers remodeling the house…electrical rewiring, tearing out floors and walls, putting up drywall, mudding, painting… I mainly tried to stay out of the way, until my menial labor was required. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of tearing out chicken-wire plastered walls; and scooping out the settled sawdust, brick-a-brack like bottles, and whatever rodent-remains remained behind in those walls. Character building right?!
Behind the house is an orchard, filled with heritage varieties of apples, peaches, apricots, pears, cherries and plums. Wild asparagus grew in the orchard’s irrigation ditches. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t count up all of the quarts and pints of fruit Mom canned.
Every year, Mom also planted an enormous garden. Park employees would come down periodically to help her weed and water, but mainly pick produce. One year, a lady with less than a green thumb thought the way to weed was pruning with scissors. As much as Mom tried telling her to yank those menacing sprouts out, she never clued in. She spent a lot of time “weeding.” Bless it.
Besides the garden and orchard, Dad went hunting every Fall. He and the guys packed gear into the rough Griffin area with the intent of bagging an elk cow or a mule deer buck. (I really think it was an excuse to see who could out-b.s. the other around the campfire sipping healing waters. LOL!). Dad always filled his hunting tag, and the freezer!
Hunting is such a part of the local culture here that long-weekends are built into the local school calendars for it. One of my family’s favorite hunting-guide families are the owners of Mecham Outfitters. Sportsman and women from around the U.S. come to hunt mule deer, elk, turkey, bobcat, and mountain lions around the Paunsaugunt, and nearby Mount Dutton and Boulder Mountain. The Bryce Lions Club also holds an annual Deer Hunter’s Ball every October, featuring delightful sweet rolls made by local, lovely ladies. YUM!
Small towns like Tropic are where memories are made, especially our’s. Where we picked apples and ate cherries in the trees till we puked. Got hitched by a J.P. in the front room I once tore the walls out of. Laughed as Son A opened presents on his first Christmas and played on the porch. Student-teaching with my Third-Grade teacher and taking a wagon ride driven by a student’s family…among many, many others. It’s safe to say, the memories I looked back on this year involving Tropic were good ones!
3rd Grade Square Dancing Program 
Wagon Ride to Park Boundary
with the Mechams
So away to the kitchen I’m flying like a flash, tearing open the pantry and whipping up a batch…of scrumptious Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Crumb Topping and Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing.
I don’t know about you, but cinnamon rolls are bad news sitting on my counter. Within hours of their oven birth, they call out to me. Begging me to devour cinnamony layer after layer until the gooey center is reached. (Kinda sounds like the “how many slicks does it take to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop” commercial?!) But after a day or two on the counter…blah, dry, unappealing. There’s only so much butter and reheating you can do to make them soft again.
Fortunately, or unfortunately for the holiday waistline, I also uncovered a hidden King Arthur Flour blog and recipe for Soft Cinnamon Rolls. What makes this recipe different from all of the others is a method…Asian tangzhong. A thick cooked pudding, called a tangzhong starter, is concocted out of flour, water and milk. When mixed and baked with everything else, light, airy, tender bread is born.
Since I still had visions of apples dancing in my head, I thought why not add them to this fabulous roll recipe. And for good measure, let’s just dress these rolls all up in crumbles and cream cheese icing. After all, we’re wrapping up 2020, hoping to open up a better 2021!
The apples used in this recipe are Honeycrisp. It’s a fabulously crisp eating apple, and is firm enough to cook with. The flavor is the right balance of sweet and tart, which means the filling doesn’t require a lot of sugar like a Granny Smith apple does. If your local mega-mart doesn’t carry Honeycrisp apples, Cripps’ Pink Lady, Jazz or Ambrosia varieties can be substituted. In a pinch, go with the Granny Smith, but add more sugar. Regardless of the type, cooking the apples is a required. Raw apples give off juice as they bake, which can lead to soggy dough. You’ll want to cook the apples down until they’re syrupy and golden colored before spreading them on the rolled dough.
Roll the dough into a cinnamon-spiraled log and cut into 2-inch slices using a serrated knife. Normally I use dental floss to cut cinnamon rolls, but the serrated knife creates beautiful slices studded with apples. Crumble on cinnamon topping, bake until they’re puffy at around 190 degrees F on the inside. If they look a little under-done, it’s okay. This helps the final roll stay moist longer. Mix up the brown sugar cream cheese icing and drizzle it on while the rolls are still warm. (Again, this aids in a lasting tender tasty.) And wha-la! After one…two…three…or maybe a few more, these Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Crumb Topping and Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing are a.ma.zing! (My fat-pants will testify to this in a food court.)
They sprang from the oven, the oven giving a whistle, And away they were gobbled down quicker than a guided missile. But I heard a Minion exclaim, as he ate his last bite–“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
PrintApple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Crumb Topping and Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing
The cinnamon roll of my wildest dreams…tender with the right balance of spice, sweet and tart apples. A bakery crumb topping and brown sugar cream cheese icing enhances this magnificently moist roll.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Soft Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
- Cook Time: 27 to 30 Minutes
- Total Time: About 2-1/2 Hours
- Yield: 12 Rolls 1x
Ingredients
For Tangzhong Starter:
5 tbsp. water
5 tbsp. whole milk
3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. bread flour
For Dough:
All of the Tangzhong Starter
4 cups + 2 tbsp. bread flour
3 tbsp. nonfat dry milk
1–3/4 tsp. salt (kosher, table or sea)
1 tbsp. instant yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm whole milk (105 to 115 degrees F)
2 large eggs
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
For Apple Pie Filling:
5–1/2 to 6 cups (about 5 large apples) Honeycrisp or Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced*
1/4 cup granulated sugar
7 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided into 4 tbsp. and 3 tbsp.
1 cup packed brown sugar
1–1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
For Crumb Topping:
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt (kosher, table or sea)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
For Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing:
4 oz. (1/2 brick) cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt (kosher, table or sea)
3 to 4 tbsp. whole milk
Instructions
To Prepare Tangzhong Starter:
In a small saucepan, whisk together water, milk and flour until smooth. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture over medium heat until thick. The whisk will leave lines in the thickened starter. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
To Prepare Dough:
In a large bowl, using a standing or hand-held mixer or by hand, combine the Tangzhong Starter, and all of the dough ingredients. Mix until everything comes together. Cover the dough and let rest for about 20 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquids.
Knead the dough by hand, using the hook attachment on a standing mixer, or in a bread machine. Dough should be smooth, elastic and slightly sticky.
Form dough into a ball. Place into a lightly greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth towel or greased plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm location and let dough rise for 60 to 90 minutes, or until dough has almost doubled in size. Prepare Apple Pie Filling and Crumble Topping while dough is rising.
To Prepare Apple Pie Filling:
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp. butter and the 1/4 cup granulated sugar until bubbly. Stir in apples. Continue to cook until apples are soft and slightly caramelized. The apples will give off liquid, but cook this out until syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
To Prepare Crumb Topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and melted butter. Stir in flour and combine into a ball. Set aside.
To Form Rolls:
Spray a 9-X 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and long sides of the pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the pan sides. Set aside.
Gently deflate dough with your fingertips. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a 18-inch by 24-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
Spread the remaining 3 tbsp. unsalted butter across the dough to all edges. Evenly place Apple Pie Filling over the butter. Combine 1 cup brown sugar and 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Spread equally over the apples.
Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam shut with your fingers. Use a serrated knife to cut the log into twelve 2-inch slices. Place cut slices into the prepared 9-X 13-inch pan. If they appear crowded, this is okay.
Using your hands, break up the Crumb Topping into pea-sized pieces. Scatter this evenly over the tops of the cut roll slices.
Again, loosely cover the pan and place in a warm location. Let rolls rise until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. They will crowd one another and is okay. As dough is in it’s final rise, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place uncovered pan in the preheated oven. Bake rolls for 27 to 30 minutes or until they feel set. The internal temperature of the dough should be between 188 and 190 degrees F. The rolls may have a pale golden color. To maintain the moisture in these rolls, it’s okay to slightly under bake them.
As rolls bake, prepare Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing:
Using a hand-held mixer or a standing mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, brown and powdered sugars, vanilla and salt. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Add 3 tbsp. milk to cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. To thin icing into a pour-able consistency, beat milk in 1 tsp. increments until desired thickness is reached.
Drizzle Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing over hot rolls. Serve immediately. Store cooled rolls in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days at room temperature…or until they’re gobbled up. Whichever comes first. To reheat rolls, loosely cover them with aluminum foil and place in preheated 350 degree F oven until warm.
Notes
*If you can’t find Honeycrisp or Braeburn apples in your local mega-mart, substitute with Pink Lady, Jazz or Ambrosia varieties. Continue to cook with 1/4 cup granulated sugar. In a pinch, Granny Smith apples can be used, but increase the granulated sugar from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.
IMNPB
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