Summer Cinnamon Rolls

"And they even have zucchini in them!" ...cue dumbfounded looks. Technically, I should have said summer squash - that would explain the self-evident lack of green going on. I made these cinnamon rolls for a friend's fundraiser, and broke my own rule of always trying everything before letting other people at it. My nerves rolled into full gear as I saw people carrying around and munching my little contributions, but I saw only empty wrappers being thrown away so I supposed they were good. I tried one after the event and my assumption was correct: these are great. I haven't had a technical cinnamon bun for a while, so these might not be the most hearken-back-to-your-childhood rolls, but they might just establish a new standard. A soft and light bread wrapped around cinnamon sugar is slightly sweet enough on its own, and once it gets drizzled with a cinnamon sugar icing, the dessert threshold is crossed. A bite of these first hits you with a sweet rush, then a full-bodied cinnamonness, all mellowed pleasantly by the spiral of brioche-like bread.
So...where's the zucchini? Well, I loved Hannah Kaminsky's Zucchini Babka recipe, but I suspected that green flecks wouldn't look so pretty in cinnamon rolls. Luckily our yellow summer squash is overly abundant, and although the larger seeds make for more tedious and vigilant shredding the effect was brilliant: the vegetable component became invisible in both taste and sight, it's presence only noted for its contribution to the incredibly lovely texture of the bread...I can only compare it to clouds.
Please, especially if you are a gardener or know one overrun with yellow summer squash, make these - and trust me, the recipe is easier than it looks! Although having a free and abundant supply of squash isn't necessary - this bread recipe is so good, I'm going to buy squash all winter long to make it.

Summer Cinnamon Rolls

Hannah Kaminsky's Zucchini Babka recipe
with yellow summer squash substituted for the zucchini and cinnamon added with the flour

Proceed as directed until you come to the rolling out part. Grease a muffin pan. Divide the dough into halves, and split one half. Roll out that quarter of dough. Spread melted margarine onto the thinly-rolled dough and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Roll up and cut into six even pieces; fit into muffin tin. Repeat with the other quarter.
Use the remaining half for even more cinnamon rolls, or make a loaf of bread! I made cinnamon-date bread...because I like dates more than raisins, and because different is good.
Regarding the icing, just mix lots of powdered sugar with a little soymilk and a little cinnamon until you have a thick icing - just so that it barely drizzles from a spoon. Make sure your rolls have cooled off fully before icing!!
Delicious...and you can decide whether or not you reveal the secret garden ingredient.