Improv Challenge: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

I have joined yet another blogging challenge.  I can't help it; they are just so much fun!  They really force me to get out of my comfort zone and make recipes that I wouldn't normally make.

In October, I found out about the Improv Challenge.  The premise of this challenge is easy: each month there are two assigned ingredients.  The participants must make a recipe using both ingredients and blog about it.  I found out about the challenge too late in October to pull a recipe together by the reveal date, so this is my first month participating.  The challenge was cancelled earlier this month, because the blogger who started it removed her blog and disappeared.  But luckily another blogger, Kristen from Frugal Antics of  Harried Homemaker, picked up where she left off and the challenge is back on!

The ingredients for this month are pumpkin and cream cheese.  Pretty easy!  I found a great recipe at Picky Palate.  Here's my adaptation.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) can Big and Buttery crescent rolls (8 rolls)

¾ tsp ground cinnamon, divided

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  

Unroll crescent rolls to form 4 rectangles placed side by side, long sides together.  Pinch seams together to form one long rectangle.  Sprinkle with ½ tsp cinnamon.  Place cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin, remaining ¼ tsp cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl; beat until well combined.  Spread mixture over crescents leaving a ½” border around edges.  

Starting at long end, roll up into a log, then cut into 1” pieces.  Place around the edge of a 9” cake pan that have been sprayed with baking spray.  

Bake for 28-30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.  Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.  Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting recipe below.

Frosting

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup powdered sugar

¼ tsp vanilla

½ tbsp pumpkin puree, optional

Mix all ingredients into a large bowl until smooth.  Spread over warm rolls.

Makes 8 servings.

The rolls before frosting.  Isn't it pretty?  Yes, I know I need to iron my tablecloth; I'll get right on that!

My crescents look a little funky because I put them together the wrong way the first time and had to redo it.  I think next time I might use the crescent roll dough that doesn't have the crescent perforations, that's made for recipes like this.

Cream cheese filling.  I had trouble with my filling oozing out as I rolled it up and as I cut it into individual rolls.  As I put them into the pan, it looked so messy that I thought it was a flop and I would have to redo it.  But, as you can see above, they came out of the oven looking beautiful.

These were so good and my family loved them.  I will definitely be making them again!

Shared at:

• Tastetastic Thursday at A Little Nosh