My eyes flew open and I looked at the clock it was 5:59am and I had an intense craving for Pecan Cinnamon Rolls.  I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn’t get the image of these sticky, gooey, sweet, rolls out of my mind. So I dragged my feet into the kitchen, first making my latte, then my Pecan Cinnamon Rolls.

My original base recipe is from the Food Network show Down Home with the Neely’s.  Over the years I’ve changed it up by adding cinnamon and vanilla to the actual cinnamon roll dough and I changed up the way I do the filling.  These roll are easy to make but like any yeast bread they do take a little time to rise.  I will usually pre-heat my oven for 5 minutes then shut it off to give my dough a nice warm place to rise. Like many things I like to make these rolls also freeze well after they have been baked, and can be reheated in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Pecans cinnamon rolls are perfect for breakfast or that late night sweet tooth. Hope you enjoy these Pecan Cinnamon Rolls as much as I do!

 

Mel’s Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

Dough:

4½ teaspoons active dry yeast ( or 2 – 1/4 ounce packages dry yeast)

½ cup warm water

4 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons of salt

5 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature

¾ cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1 cup chopped pecans

Pinch of Salt

Glaze:

1½ cups powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:

Spray a large mixing bowl with non-stick spray.

Dissolve the yeast in the water in a bowl of a standing mixer with the dough hook attachment. Let the yeast sit for 5 minutes. If the yeast doesn’t bubble up, throw away the mixture and start again.

In a medium sized mixing bowl beat together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk the egg mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer with the yeast. Add one cup of flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the melted butter and mix well. With the stand mixer going on medium speed, slowly add the remaining 4 cups of flour one at a time and mix together until stiff dough is formed. Add the dough to the greased mixing bowl and place in a warm area with a damp towel on top. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.

Filling:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 1 large round pan or two 9 inch cake pans.

In a bowl mix the room temperature butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until you form a thick paste.

Dust a cutting board with flour. Punch down and roll out the dough to approximately 12×15 inch rectangle. Spread the butter, cinnamon and sugar mix evenly all over the dough. Sprinkle the chopped pecans all over and gently press them in to the butter, sugar, and cinnamon mix. Roll the dough into a large pin wheel cylinder and cut off the ends. Cut in to 10 equal portions. Put in the greased pans, pin wheel side down and let them rise until they have doubled in size. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until evenly brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Glaze:

In a bowl add 1½ cups of powdered sugar a teaspoon of vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk. Whisk together until completely smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cinnamon rolls.