Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs

Once again I was lucky enough to be included in a baking event based around the recipes in Gourmet Magazine (remember the 12 days of Cookies?). Unfortunately with my crazy schedule and all of the things I have committed myself to life got in the way and these were suppose to be made and posted last week!!! Thank goodness my baking buddies are a pretty forgiving bunch...

This is all part of our Gourmet bread challenge and BYOB (Bake Your Own Bread) hosted by Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench. The plan was that out of the month of February we were to choose 4 recipes for rolls from 6 recipes that Gourmet Magazine and post one a week. I failed the first week but I will not them down again!!!

When you are done here please be sure to head over to my baking buddies sites... Andrea of Andrea's Recipes; Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen (who also designed our cool badge!); Kelly of Sass & Veracity; Courtney of Coco Cooks; and Sandy of At the Baker's Bench ~ I'm sure they'll have something wonderful going on in their ovens too.

For my first roll recipe I chose to make the Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs. They turned out to be a real simple roll but I don't find much flavor in them. Could just be me though...I did have to use Clementine's instead of oranges and homemade roasted and pureed pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin. That may have made a difference!

Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs (Gourmet Magazine)
Makes 1 dozen rolls
Active time: 40 mins Start to Finish: 4-3/4 Hr (includes rising)

3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 tsp active dry yeast (from a 1/4 -oz package)
1/4 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees)
1 Tbsp mild honey or sugar
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting
1 -1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin (I used roasted and pureed pumpkin I had frozen)
2 large eggs, divided, plus one yolk (never figured out what to do with it all so only used 2 eggs)
1/2 tsp grated orange zest (I used Clementine's :))
2 Tbs fresh orange juice (I used Clementine's-seeing a trend here?)
1 Tbsp water

Equipment: 12 holed muffin tin

• Butter muffin cups with 1 Tbsp melted butter.
• Stir together yeast, warm milk, and honey or sugar in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes (if mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast)
• Mix flour, pumpkin, 1 whole egg, yolk, orange zest and juice, and remaining 5 Tbsp butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula until soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting surface and hands with just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6-8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
• Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with some plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise in a draft free place at warm room temperature until doubled about 1-1/2 - 2 hrs.
• Punch down dough (do not knead) then halve. Roll half of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands into a 12 inch long log (keep remaining half covered in plastic.)
• Cut log into 6 equal pieces, then cut each piece into thirds. Roll each piece into a 1 inch ball by cupping your hand and pushing dough against work surface as you roll in circular motion. Put 3 balls side by side in each of 6 muffin cups.
• Make more rolls with the remaining dough in the same manner. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough is about 1 inch above the rim of the muffin cups, 1 to 1-1/2 hrs.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in the middle.
  
• Whisk together the remaining egg and water and brush on top of rolls. (You will have leftover egg wash).
• Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes.
• Cooks note: Rolls are best the day they are made but can be frozen (cool completely, then wrap well) 1 month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until warmed through, 5-10 minutes.

I am submitting this to Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench for her BYOB event as well!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com