Instructions

For the dough

1. Start by greasing 2 small baking dishes. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together, milk, melted, butter, and sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and allowed to sit for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of flour and use a wooden spoon to mix into milk mixture until combined. Cover bowl with clean dish towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make the beet purée by adding diced beet and 2-3 tbsps of water to a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
3. Once doubled in size, add salt, baking powder, and ~3/4 cup to dough and mix. Gradually knead in beet purée to the dough until bright purple color is achieved. Flour a clean surface, pour dough onto surface. Knead dough lightly while adding flour as needed.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Once dough is no longer sticky, roll out dough into large rectangle that is about a 1/2 inch thick. Evenly spread softened butter on dough using rubber spatula. Evenly spread brown sugar mixture throughout.
5. Carefully start to roll dough over itself to create cinnamon bun roll form. Use a sharp knife to cut 14-16 cinnamon buns (cut in half and repeat to get even slices). Place cinnamon buns close, but not touching, in prepared baking dishes. Cover with plastic wrap or clean dish towel and allowed to sit for 30 minutes.
6. Remove plastic wrap and bake for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden. Prepare the icing by whisking together ingredients starting with 4 oz of cream cheese, taste and add more as desired. We wanted a thicker, less sweet icing so we added the full 8oz. Remove cinnamon buns from oven and start scooping icing on top and evenly spread. Enjoy!