
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Let this sit until it becomes foamy on the top. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it is scalding hot and then add butter.
Add the pumpkin into the milk and butter mixture.
Stir this until completely blended in and smooth.
In a large bowl combine flour, salt, sugar, eggs, and yeast mixture. Stir together with a wooden spoon until combined.
Stir in the scalded milk and pumpkin mixture.
Stir until blended. At this point I let my stand mixer take over and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Spray the inside of a bowl with some non-stick cooking spray.
Place the ball of dough into the bowl.
Cover bowl with a towel and place in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Place the dough onto a slightly floured surface and punch down
Divide the dough in half.
Divide each half of the dough into smaller roll-sized sections.
Flatten the dough into round shapes.
Using a knife cut around edges to make it resemble a flower shape while leaving the center intact. Using your finger make an indent into the center of each roll.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes or until the tops are starting to turn golden brown. I made my rolls pretty large and the took about 18 minutes. Just watch them carefully to be sure they don't overcook.
After removing them from the oven, place a pecan sliver into the center of each one to resemble a pumpkin stem. Aren't these just adorable looking?
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