NANA'S CARAMEL PECAN ROLLS

Nana's Caramel Pecan Rolls image

Gina: I don't know if any of you have an appetizer before breakfast, but that's what we sometimes do in our house, and it sure is fun. 'Course, when we do, the only appetizer we make is Nana's Caramel Pecan Rolls. Nana was my godmother, who lived across the street from us while we were growing up. Nana is one of the best cooks in our family, and one of our most cherished matriarchs. She took care of me from the time I was six months old until I started school. Later, Nana took care of Shelbi when she was a baby. Nana always made the best caramel pecan rolls, and when we didn't want to make them ourselves, we'd call her and request a batch for a special Sunday breakfast. After making these, you'll know why.

Yield 9 large rolls

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

Two 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup warm water
2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for greasing
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup raisins

Steps:

Combine the yeast, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook, and let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, remaining sugar, and salt. Turn the mixer on low, and pour the egg mixture over the yeast; mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, and mix until smooth. Add the melted butter, and mix well. Add the remaining 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix until the dough has a smooth, elastic texture.
Lightly oil another large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl; turn to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours (or, at this point, the dough can be refrigerated overnight, then rolled out and filled the next day).
Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a 12 × 15-inch rectangle (the size of a half-sheet tray). Using a rubber spatula, spread 1/2 cup of the butter mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the butter with 1/2 cup of the pecans and the raisins. Starting with the long edge, roll the dough, jelly roll-style, into a large pinwheel cylinder. Cut the cylinder into nine equal rolls.
Lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch cake pan, then spread the remaining butter mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Arrange the dough slices in staggered rows of three (pinwheel swirl side down), three across and three down on top of the butter mixture. Press each dough piece lightly to spread into an even circle. The slices in the rows across should just touch; there will be a space between the rows down. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft free spot for 45 minutes to an hour, until the rolls have doubled in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the rolls, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on a baking rack. Using a sharp knife, cut around the sides of pan. Place a large baking sheet over the pan. Using oven mitts, hold the baking sheet and pan together tightly and flip over, releasing the cinnamon rolls onto the baking sheet (use a rubber spatula to scrape any remaining buttery syrup or nuts onto the tops of the rolls). Serve the cinnamon rolls warm or at room temperature.