Umm, yum. That describes these rolls, and they make the house smell fantastic. I saw these in Better Homes & Garden and made them within a week. This frosting definitely needs to top some type of gingerbread cupcake as well this holiday season.
The only holdup in making these would be the mashed potatoes, which I imagine contribute greatly to the soft, supple texture. I'm not sure how to sub them, so I guess this is your excuse for mashed potatoes? Also, in full disclosure, I failed to read the recipe carefully and didn't divide my spices. I dumped everything into the dough and then added more seasonings to the filling. I think that hampered my rise a bit (particularly my second rise), so I'd suggest trying the recipe as written.
I followed the recipe to make these into a star pattern, which required a bit more time and effort. The advantages of that are that it looks pretty cool and it's not quite clear how many cinnamon rolls you're eating. I'll include both sets of instruction below.
Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
3 3/4 to 41/4 cups flour, divided
4 tsp. ground ginger, divided
4 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 tsp. ground cloves, divided
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
3/4 cup milk
1 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup butter, divided
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
Additional 1/4 cup butter
Frosting
3/4 cup butter
3 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. cloves and the yeast. In a saucepan, stir together milk, mashed potatoes, 1/3 cup butter, molasses and 1 tsp. salt until just warm (120 to 130°F). Add milk mixture and eggs to the flour. Mix until smooth. Add in 2 cups of flour, and stir in as much as you can.
Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately smooth dough that isn't too sticky (about 5 minutes). Place dough into lightly greased bowl, cover and let rest until doubled (about 45 to 60 minutes).
Punch down down. Let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining spices, butter and brown sugar to make the cinnamon filling. Melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter separately. Set both aside.
To shape rolls & bake rolls, lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan. Roll dough into 18 x 12 rectangle. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle evenly with filling. Roll up tightly, starting from long side. Cut into 12 rolls, and place in pan. Cover, and let rise until nearly doubled (about 30 minutes).
To shape and bake star, divide dough into 8 equal portions after the 10-minute rest. Roll each dough into a 10-inch round. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper, as you will make two stars. For each star, place a dough round on the baking sheet. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with filling. Top with a second layer, and repeat the process. Top with a third layer and repeat the process. Top with a final layer, and brush only with melted butter. Gently press a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter in the middle. Cut 16 wedges, leaving the circle inside intact. Alternating directions, twist each wedge twice and pinch the ends to seal. Cover, and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake rolls 25 to 30 minutes until golden and stars about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before frosting.
To make frosting, melt butter over medium heat until it browns and smells nutty. Let it cool slightly, and then beat in sugar, spices and then milk and vanilla. Add more milk to reach desired consistency. Try not to eat off a spoon.
Makes 2 stars or 12 rolls.
