Date: 08-29-2009
Cinnamon Rolls
Dough
2 cups milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 packages active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (105 -115 F)
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
7 ¼ to 8 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
Cinnamon Sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
8 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and divided
1 ½ cups pecan halves, chopped
Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
About 1 ½ tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1. Make dough: Combine milk and sugar in a small saucepan.
Heat, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, until sugar is dissolved.
Cool until mixture is lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a
large bowl; stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand until yeast is foamy, 5 minutes.
2. Beat milk mixture, egg yolks and salt with wooden spoon into
dissolved yeast, until blended. Beat in 4 cups flour, then softened
butter, until mixture is smooth. Gradually stir in another 3 ¼ cups
flour until blended and mixture forms a soft dough.
3. Grease a large bowl. On lightly floured surface, knead dough until
smooth and elastic, adding as much of the remaining 1 cup of flour as
necessary, 8 to 10 minutes. Place dough in prepared bowl, turning to
grease top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm,
draft free place until doubled in bulk, 1 hour.
4. Make cinnamon sugar: Stir together granulated and brown sugars
and cinnamon in bowl, breaking up any small brown sugar lumps with a spoon; set aside.
5. Brush two 13x9x2-inch baking pans with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.
Sprinkle the bottom of each with ¼ cup of the cinnamon sugar. Turn dough out
onto a lightly floured surface; cut in half. Roll 1 piece of dough into a 16x12
inch rectangle. Rush top with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle entire
surface evenly with ¾ cup cinnamon sugar; top evenly with half the pecans.
Starting at one long end of rectangle, roll up dough tightly to form a log.
Pinch edges to seal. With a serrated knife, cut log crosswise with a sawing
motion into twelve 1 ¼-ince-thick slices. Arrange slices cut side up in 4 rows,
3 per row, in one prepared pan, with space between the rows. Punch down
remaining piece of dough. Repeat process, rolling and cutting with remaining
melted butter, cinnamon sugar, and pecans. Arrange slices in remaining prepared
pan. Cover pans and let rolls rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes
(rolls will tough on all sides).
6. Meanwhile, arrange oven racks in middle and upper third of oven. Heat over to 350 F.
7. Uncover rolls and bake 20 minutes. Switch pans between racks and bake rolls
15 minutes, until golden and the center roll is baked in middle. Immediately invert
each pan, turning rolls out onto wire racks. Cool 5 minutes; turn rolls right side up.
8. Make glaze: Meanwhile, combine confectioners' sugar and milk and almond extract
in bowl, stirring until smooth. Drizzle rolls with glaze while still warm. Makes 24 rolls.