Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
The other day I had a craving for Cinnamon rolls. It was raining and I didn’t feel like going to a store or bakery. I searched the pantry and found a bag of Pecans. That gave me a reason to bake my own.
This yeast dough is a traditional sweet yeast mixture, soft and mildly sweet. Milk, yeast, a small amount of sugar, and eggs are well combined before being set aside for some time. This resting period helps the dry yeast to hydrate and start activating.
Next, the flour is incorporated. The same principle that applies to savory yeast doughs holds true here: opt for flour with the highest protein content possible. The gluten, which is the protein found in flour, contributes elasticity and ensures that the dough is delightfully tender.
Pecan Cinnamon rolls ingredients 
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk. Wait 10 minutes 
Slowly mix the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla extract 
Sieve the flour, add a dash of salt 
Combine the yeast, egg and flour mixture and knead the yeast dough 
Let dough rise at warm location for an hour 
Whisk the egg white till stiff 
Add the nuts, sugar and vanilla and rum extract to the stiff egg white 
Roll out dough on pastry mat 
Optional: spread Butter on the rolled out dough 
Cover dough with cinnamon 
Place egg white and nut mixture on top 
Roll each side of dough inward 
Rolled dough 
Cut about 1 inch slices 
Place cinnamon rolls on cookie sheets layed out with parchment paper. Let rise covered for 30 min. 
Optional: cover with Streusel (see recipe below) 
Bake at 355 F for 25 to 30 min (320 F Conv) 
Remove baked cinnamon rolls, cover with glaze (optional). Let cool 
Pecan Cinnamon rolls. Can be covered with Streusel Crumb topping before baking, or make a Glaze with confectioner sugar and a couple of drops of lemon juice. 
Hazelnut Cinnamon rolls with glaze (prepared by Katharina Kladde).
After kneading, allow the dough to rest a little, so that the gluten can take up more moisture.
Then mix in the butter; don’t get discouraged even if it becomes quite messy during this step. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer can be very helpful here. Once the butter is fully blended in, cover and let the yeast dough rise in a bowl at room temperature until it has approximately doubled in size.
This is a Double Rolled pastry, meaning the dough is rolled from both sides in as you see on the pictures below.
Optional: Can be covered with Streusel Crumb topping before baking, or make a glaze with confectioner sugar and a couple of drops of lemon juice.
Those cinnamon rolls seem to taste stale the next day, just microwave for 20 seconds and consume.
Pecan Cinnamon rolls- Nuss Zimt Schnecken
Ingredients
- Yeast dough ingredients:
- 4 cups white flour
- 1 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 dash salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 200 ml milk (luke warm)
- 5 tbsp soft butter
- Filling ingredients:
- 2 egg white
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp rum extract
- 5 tbsp milk
- 2 cups chopped pecans (hazelnuts or walnuts)
Optional: Cover with Streusel Crumb topping before baking, or make a Glaze with confectioner sugar and a couple of drops of lemon juice.
Instructions
- Prepare the yeast dough:
- Combine flour, dash salt and place the yeast and milk mixture in the middle.
- Add the egg yolk, sugar and soft butter mixture and stir from outside in.
- Knead for about 5 minutes with KitchenAid or hands until dough is smooth.
- Let rest for 1 hour at a warm location until the dough doubles in size.
- Now prepare the filling.
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff.
- Add the filling ingredients.
- After the dough has doubled roll out the dough.
- Sprinkle with some cinnamon.
- Place the filling in the middle and spread on the dough leaving the edges bare.
- Roll two long sides of the dough until the sides meet in the middle.
- Cut slices about 0.80” thick.
- Optional: drop streusel on top (recipe in notes) .
- Place the rolls with some space on 2 cookie sheets and let rest covered for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 F, or 320 F convection.
- Bake for 25 to 30 min until lightly browned.
- Remove, place on cooling rack to cool
Notes
Can be covered with Streusel Crumb topping before baking, or make a Glaze with confectioner sugar and a couple of drops of lemon juice.
Store for 3 days in container or plastic bag, or freeze.
