Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling

The final chapter. Chapter fourteen. "The Table." The chapter that is the destination — not the Philippines, not the ER, not the book's publication, but the table. The kitchen table where I eat. The table where I don't eat standing up (most of the time). The table that is three feet above the floor and six years away from the falling. The table that is the whole book's thesis: the floor happened. The standing happened. The cooking happened. The table is where all of it lives now.

I wrote the final chapter in one sitting. Three hours. At the kitchen table. The stove light on. A pot of chicken adobo simmering on the stove — the original recipe, the first recipe, the recipe that started the blog and the recovery and the book and everything else. The writing and the cooking happening simultaneously, the way they always do in my kitchen, the two practices that are one practice, the writing-cooking-standing-living that is the daily activity of Grace Santos at thirty-four.

The last paragraph: "If you asked me to describe myself in one sentence, I'd say: I'm a nurse who cooks, or a cook who nurses. I've never figured out which. But I know this: start with garlic. The rest follows." The last sentence is the first sentence. The book is a circle. The garlic is the center.

The manuscript is complete. Fourteen chapters. Forty-five recipes. The life of a Filipino-American ER nurse in Alaska, told through food. The pot is full. The lid is on. The simmering is done. The serving is next.

The adobo was for the writing. The cinnamon rolls were for the morning after — the morning I woke up and the book was already done, sitting in my email drafts folder, all fourteen chapters, and I needed to make something with my hands that matched what I was feeling: layered, warm, a little over the top, and worth every minute of the effort. Apple pie filling inside cinnamon rolls felt exactly right for a woman who has spent six years learning that two things can live inside each other and both come out better for it.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (includes rise time) | Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one standard packet)
1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Filling:
1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Glaze:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Stir gently and let stand for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
Make the dough. Add the melted butter, eggs, salt, and remaining sugar to the yeast mixture. Mix to combine. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface, or with a dough hook on medium speed, for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
First rise. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Prepare the filling. Roughly chop any large apple chunks in the pie filling so pieces are bite-sized. In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar into a paste.
Roll and fill. Turn risen dough out onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle approximately 16 x 12 inches. Spread the cinnamon butter evenly across the surface, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spoon the apple pie filling evenly over the butter layer.
Roll and slice. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife to cut the log into 12 equal rolls.
Second rise. Arrange rolls in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish, cut side up. Cover and let rise for 30–45 minutes until puffy and touching each other.
Bake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 23–27 minutes until the tops are golden and the centers are set. Do not overbake — a little soft in the center is perfect.
Make the glaze. While rolls bake, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, and mix until pourable. Adjust milk one teaspoon at a time for desired consistency.
Glaze and serve. Let rolls cool for 5 minutes, then pour the cream cheese glaze generously over the top. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling — The Serving Is Next