Apple Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup milk, I used 1%, warmed to 110 degrees
• 1 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 3 – 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups peeled and grated Granny Smith apples
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, halfway melted
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 – 5 Tbsp reserved apple juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pour the yeast into the warm milk in a liquid measuring cup, then whisk until it dissolves. Set it aside for 5 – 10 minutes. While it sits, combine the sour cream, granulated sugar, salt, egg, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and melted butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Pour in the milk mixture, fit the mixer with the whisk attachment, and mix until everything comes together.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix just until incorporated. Change to the dough hook, then gradually work in the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding extra flour only as needed to make a soft dough that releases from the bowl sides and may cling a bit underneath.
3. Move the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it somewhere warm until it has doubled, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Near the end of that rise, grate the apple into a bowl, toss it with the lemon juice, and set it aside. In another small bowl, whisk the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together, then set that aside too.
4. Press the dough down to deflate it. On a clean work surface dusted lightly with flour, roll it into about a 19 x 13 inch rectangle. Coat the surface evenly with 1/4 cup butter, then scatter the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top and spread it out evenly.
5. Press the grated apples against the side of the bowl, or squeeze them in your hands, to remove 6 Tbsp of extra liquid into the bowl. Save that juice for the glaze. Distribute the drained apples evenly over the cinnamon sugar.
6. Starting from the long edge, the 19-inch side, roll the dough snugly all the way to the opposite 19-inch side. It may feel like the unusual direction to roll, but this gives you taller rolls that fit the muffin cups better.
7. Slice the log into 12 – 13 rolls. Place each one in a paper-lined muffin cup that has been coated with non-stick spray, preferably using 2 – 12 hole muffin tins so the tops have space to spread. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let them rest in a warm spot for 40 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of that rise, preheat the oven to 375.
8. Lightly brush the tops with butter, then bake at 375 for 14 – 17 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden and the centers are cooked through rather than doughy. Let them cool a little, then drizzle with the glaze and serve warm. Store in an airtight container, and rewarm in the microwave for 10 – 20 seconds before eating if desired.
9. For the glaze, whisk together 3 tbsp reserved apple juice, powdered sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Add more apple juice as needed, 1 tsp at a time, until the glaze reaches the consistency you want.