Caramel Pecan Rolls

Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls just out of the oven, first thing in the morning...And with a cup of hot coffee, these sticky buns with goeey pecan topping, tastes just divine..can be conveniently prepared the day before and refrigerated, but I would prefer baking them just after the second rise...reminded me of the famous cinnamon rolls we used to relish at Cici's Pizza in the US...

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (2 1/4 tsp)quick active dry yeast
1/2 cup very warm milk, (120°F to 130°F )
3 tbsp butter, softened
1 egg

For the caramel:

1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp water

For the filling:

1 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped pecans or raisins
1/8 cup granulated sugar or packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:

Mix 1 cup of the flour, granulated sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add warm milk, butter and the egg. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place about 1 hour 30 minutes or until double.

Grease bottom and sides of rectangular pan. Boil the sugar and water on medium heat for about 7-8 minutes until golden brown. Turn off the heat and pour the caramel onto the pan. Punch down dough. Flatten with hands or rolling pin into rectangle on lightly floured surface. Spread with 1 tbsp butter. Mix pecans, granulated sugar and the cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over butter.



Roll rectangle up tightly, beginning at the wider side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Stretch and shape until even. Cut roll into 1-inch slices. Place slightly apart in pan. Cover and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until double.



Bake in a 350 deg F(180 C) oven for 30 minutes. If you plan to bake the next morning, cover and refrigerate overnight for atleast 12 hours. And bake as directed above. Remove from pan to wire rack. Invert the pan onto a plate and drizzle the caramel onto the rolls. Cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.

Makes ~12 rolls