Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Add the diced apples, salt, cinnamon, lemon juice and sugar and stir to combine.
⅓ cup granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 4 apples, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cook for 5-8 minutes, the apples should have softened up.
Pour the apple filling into a bowl and mix in the cornstarch. Let cool completely.
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cinnamon Rolls
Warm up your milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, you just want it to be lukewarm. Too hot and it will kill the yeast! Pour the milk into a medium bowl and add the yeast, stirring to combine. Leave for 5-10 minutes until it has foamed and there are bubbles
1 cup whole milk, 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and mix to combine.
5 cups all purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, pinch ground cinnamon, pinch ground nutmeg
Pour the milk, butter and eggs into the stand mixer bowl bowl, and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes. Raise the speed to medium and mix for another 3 minutes. Your dough should be smooth and not too sticky.
6 tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 large eggs
Take the dough out of the bowl and oil it, then scrape the dough back into it. Cover it loosely with clingfilm and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, about an hour to an hour and a half.
Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
Turn your dough onto a floured work surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a large rectangle, measuring 18 inches (46cm) long, and 12 inches wide (30.5cm).
Mix together the cinnamon, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush over the softened butter, leaving a ¼ inch margin, then sprinkle over the cinnamon mixture.
½ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, pinch salt, ¼ cup unsalted butter
Use a spoon to spoon over the chilled apple pie filling (leaving behind any liquid in the bowl). I recommend using an offset spatula to cover the dough.
From the long side, roll it into a tight spiral. Because of the apple pie filling it might be quite messy! Cut it into 12 pieces using either unflavored dental floss or a serrated knife. Place them into your buttered dish.
Cover loosely with clingfilm and let rise for about an hour. You’ll know the dough is ready when you poke it, it bounces back but leaves a bit of a dent. If the indentation doesn’t stay, it needs longer.
Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Just before putting it into the oven, pour your warm heavy cream on top of the rolls, and in the spaces between the rolls. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
½ cup heavy cream
Frosting
In a large bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk, and maple syrup. Pour over the warm cinnamon rolls.
Butter: I use European style butter, like Kerry Gold, in my recipes. This will make your finished bake much creamier and richer.Cream: If you're based in Europe, you can use double cream instead of heavy cream.Apples: I used Granny Smith apples here. Chilling the filling: I recommend letting the apple pie filling chill completely before adding to the cinnamon rolls. The more time it has to set, the easier it will be to roll up!Storage: Cover the rolls and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can warm them up in the microwave or oven.Freezing: Let the rolls cool completely. Place in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, take them out of the freezer the night before and let them defrost in the fridge. The next morning, heat your oven to 350 and bake for about 10 minutes.