Ree Drummond's Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

For the dough

1½ cups whole milk

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup granulated sugar

1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 cup pumpkin puree

4½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring, sprinkling and rolling

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon (heaping) baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt melted butter, for buttering pans

For the filling

1 stick (½ cup) butter, melted

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

For the frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1¾ cups to 2 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup whole milk, plus more if needed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

dash of salt

For the dough: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, vegetable oil and granulated sugar. Heat until hot but not boiling, remove pan from stove and allow mixture to cool until warm to the touch. Sprinkle yeast over surface of the liquid and allow to sit 5 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree until combined. Combine 4 cups of the flour with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Sprinkle dry ingredients into saucepan and stir until just combined. Cover saucepan with a dishtowel and set in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, the mixture should be very puffy and at least doubled in size. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and remaining ½ cup flour until totally combined.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 3 pie pans, or large baking dish, with melted butter, spreading to cover bottom and sides of pan(s). Turn dough out onto floured surface and press into a rectangular shape, adding additional flour as necessary to make dough easier to handle. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a large rectangle approximately 18 inches by 24 inches. Be sure to have the long side facing you.

For the filling: Drizzle the melted butter evenly over rolled dough to within 1 inch of the edges. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Sprinkle mixture over dough, covering all the melted butter. Top with ½ - to ¾-cup chopped pecans. Starting at the top, roll the dough toward you into a tight large log, moving back and forth down the line of dough (in a "typewriter" motion) and always rolling toward you, pinching seams closed. With seam side down, slice with serrated knife or dental floss, into ½- to ¾-inch slices and carefully place slices in buttered pan(s). Cover with plastic wrap, place in a draft free place, and allow dough to rise 20 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and bake until the rolls are golden brown around the edges, 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting: While the rolls are baking, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, butter and salt in bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until fluffy, adding more milk as needed to yield desired consistency frosting. Be careful not to make frosting too thin, as it will melt as placed on top of hot rolls. Frost the rolls the second they come out of the oven. Sprinkle extra pecans over the frosting, and allow rolls to cool 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 24 rolls

Ree Drummond