Pumpkin dinner rolls

I saw these on Pinterest (the original recipe is from a blog called "Beyond Kimchee") and I just had to try them..aren't they darling?  They are made with a yeast dough containing pumpkin to give them a bit of an orange color....but...you could surely make them with any dinner roll recipe, just following directions to form the pumpkins.  I only had almonds on hand so I used a whole almond for the stem.  Too cute!

3/4 cup whole milk, scalded

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

2 packages active dry yeast (1/2 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 cup lukewarm water

5 cups all-purpose flour

15-20 nut halves

Pour hot milk in a mixing bowl, add butter and stir to melt. Add sugars, pumpkin puree, salt to the milk and combine well.

1. In a small bowl proof yeast in a lukewarm water with a teaspoon sugar. When it gets foamy add to the pumpkin mixture, and add the egg, mix well.
2. Add in flour gradually and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. The dough will be sticky.
3. If using electric mixer, attach a dough hook and beat the mixture until the dough itself pulls from the side of the bowl.
4. Turn the dough out to a wooden board dusted with a little flour. Knead with hand for 1 minute. Form the dough into a ball shape, place in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hr. 

Here is what my dough looked like after kneading:

This is the way I let my dough rise:  put it on a middle rack in the oven, in a buttered bowl, covered with a towel.  On the rack under that put a 13 x 9 pan full of very hot water.  I find the yeast dough loves this moist warm atmosphere and I rarely have a problem getting dough to rise using this method.

1. Punch down the dough and knead it for a few seconds on a wooden board. Cut the dough in half. Cut each half into about 15 pieces.
2. Roll each piece into a ball shape with your hand. Flatten the piece with palm of your hand a little. Using a knife, give 6-8 cuts on the edge to mimic flower pedals but the leave center uncut.
3. Poke the center with your finger to give a deep indentation, and repeat the same procedure to all the other pieces.
4. Place them, 2" apart, on a baking pan lined with parchment paper or baking mat, and let them rise again to be doubled, about 45 minutes. 

1. Preheat oven 350ºF .
2. If the center indentation is not obvious on the rolls, poke them again with your finger.
3. Brush with egg wash, if you wish, and bake for 9-12 minutes until the top gets slightly golden.
4. Put the nut in the indentation for the stem. 
5.