Caramel Pecan Rolls

What is the use of having a cookbook if you don’t make at least one recipe from it? For a while now we have owned Damn Good Food by chef and owner Mitch Omer of Hell’s Kitchen in Minneapolis. We’ve been there many times now and everything on the menu is absolutely amazing. I wanted to try something different that I have never made before, so I went with their Caramel Pecan Rolls. I just made half of the books recipe and some aspects were failing for me so I had to make some slight changes. Otherwise, it was superb. They were a lot easier than I first thought. The dough itself is slightly sweet rather than being bland and letting the filling and caramel carry it. My husband keeps raving about it as he finishes off the last of them. The caramel itself isn’t overly sweet either which gives the rolls a nice rounded flavor that doesn’t make you run for a glass of milk to wash it down. I’m going to make these the next time my mother-in-law comes to visit as she adores caramel pecan rolls, and I will use any opportunity available to impress her.

Makes about 12 rolls

Sweet Dough

• 3/4 c + 2 tbsp Milk
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Shortening
• 1 tsp + 1/8 tsp Yeast
• 1 Egg, Medium Size
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 2-3 c All Purpose Flour

Sugar Filling

• 2/3 c Sugar, granulated
• 1/3 c Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon, ground
• 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened

Caramel

• 2/3 c Brown Sugar, packed
• 2/3 c Heavy Cream
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Paste (optional)
• 2 c Chopped Pecans

In a small sauce pan combine the milk, honey, and vegetable shortening. Bring up to 110°F no higher, or it will kill the yeast. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a doughhook. Add in the yeast and let bloom for 5-10 minutes.

While the yeast is doing its magic, measure out 3 cups of flour. In a small bowl combine the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon, mix well and set aside. Prepare your work surface by lightly dusting it with flour.

Turn your attention back to the stand mixer, turn it on medium speed and add in the egg and salt. Mix until well combined. Once combined slowly add in 1 cup of flour. It will turn into a batter like constancy. Keep adding in the flour 1/4 cup at a time just until the dough pulls away from the sides. Let it kneed for 5 minutes. Transfer to your prepared work surface and kneed until the dough forms a ball, that is not sticky to the touch, but quite elastic. Cover with a towel, and let rise for 40 mintues.

After it has risen for the 40 minutes, punch down the dough into a rectangular shape, and cover with a tea towel and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your baking pan I used a 10″x10″x4″ square cake pan. Line with foil, or spray with bakers spray. Set aside and begin making the caramel.

In a small sauce pan add the brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Bring up to a boil and simmer until the sugar is melted completely. Pour the carmel into the bottom of your baking pan. Add 2/3 of the chopped pecans into the caramel in an even layer. Time to work the dough.

Roll the dough out into a 24″ x 10″ rectangle. Take the softened butter and with a pastry brush create an even layer of butter over the top of the dough going to the edges. Pour the sugar mixture over the butter and with your hands spread out into an even layer.

Roll it up length wise so you have a 24″ long tube. With a sharp knife, slice into twelve 2″ pieces.

Place the rolls on top of the caramel pecan mixture in the pan leaving around 1″ between each roll. Cover and let rise for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes until the tops of the rolls are a golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Place a piece of parchment over your serving tray, and put it over the warm rolls. Flip the pans so now the caramel pecan mixture is on top, and the rolls are on your serving tray.

Adapted from Damn Good Food