Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

1. In a large bowl stir together 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. cloves, and the yeast. In a 2-qt. saucepan heat and stir milk, mashed potatoes, 1/3 cup butter, the molasses, and 1 tsp. salt just until warm (120°F to 130°F) and butter is almost melted. Add milk mixture and eggs to flour mixture. Mix until smooth. Add about 2 cups flour and stir in as much as you can.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning to grease surface of dough. Cover; let rise until double in size (45 to 60 minutes).

3. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking pan.

4. For filling: In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar and remaining ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

5. Roll dough into an 18×12-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with filling, leaving 1 inch unfilled along one of the long sides. Roll up tightly, starting from filled long side and pinching seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices; arrange in pan. Cover; let rise until nearly double in size (30 minutes).

6. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; invert to remove from pan. Invert again. Spread with Spiced Brown Butter Frosting. Makes 12 rolls.

Spiced Browned Butter Frosting:

In a 1- to 1 1/2-qt. saucepan melt 3/4 cup butter over low until butter turns a delicate light brown, stirring occasionally. Let cool slightly. In a large bowl combine 3 2/3 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, dash ground cloves, 2 Tbsp. milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir in the brown butter until combined. Add additional milk, 1 tsp. at a time, to reach spreading consistency. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Star-Shaped Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls:

Prepare dough as above. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. After punching dough down, divide into 8 equal portions. Let rest 10 minutes. For each star shape, on a lightly floured surface roll one portion of dough to a 10-inch round. Place on a prepared sheet. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with a slightly rounded tablespoon of the filling mixture. Repeat 2 times, stacking rounds. Top with another dough round. Brush with melted butter. Use a 2 1/2-inch round cutter to make a slight indent in the center of the dough stack. Leaving cutter in center, use a sharp knife to cut 16 strips, cutting from the cutter to the edge of the stack. Twist 2 adjacent strips 2 times, twisting each in the opposite direction. Pinch twists together at the ends to form star tip. Repeat to make 8 star tips. Remove cutter. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let rise, brush with additional melted butter, and bake in the 375°F oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Omit frosting. If desired, dust with powdered sugar. Makes 2 stars.

Mashed, cooked potato:

Prick a 10-ounce unpeeled potato all over with a fork. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Halve potato and scoop pulp out of skin into a small bowl; discard skin. Mash the potato pulp with a potato masher or an electric mixer on low speed. Measure 1 cup of mashed potatoes.
Or, prepare instant mashed potato flakes according to package directions to make 1 cup.
Or, used leftover mashed potatoes.