Dinner DeeAs Dessert Week recipe: Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Dessert Week wraps up with Alyssa Dominguez from Toffee To Go and More, a South Tampa dessert café whose philosophy is "life's too short to eat a bad dessert." Alyssa is here to share a Pecan Cinnamon Roll recipe which is joining the menu at Toffee To Go as they expand their opening hours this month.

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Ingredients

Dough

• 8 oz lukewarm milk, about 110° F
• 2 ½ tsp dried instant or active yeast
• ½ cup white granulated sugar (100g)
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter (38g)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided – set aside ½ cup of this (585g)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 4 oz unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed (210g)
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon (16g)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 oz chopped pecans (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened (38g)
• ¾ cup cream cheese, softened (6 oz)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (227g)
• ½ tbsp vanilla extract

Topping (Optional)

• Toffee sauce

Directions

Dough

1. Warm milk in microwave for about 30 seconds, until lukewarm in temperature (110° F) milk should not be steaming or boiling.
2. In mixer bowl, add lukewarm milk, white granulated sugar, and yeast mix until sugar is dissolved let sit for about 5-10 minutes to allow yeast to become bubbly.
3. Once yeast has bubbled up, add in room temperature eggs and unsalted butter and mix until eggs are broken up and mixture is roughly combined it’s okay if butter is still clumped together.
4. Add flour and salt, stirring together until mixture resembles shaggy dough ball.
5. With dough hook attachment, turn mixer up to medium speed and mix until dough comes together around dough hook, pulling away from sides of bowl - dough is done when dough bounces back when pressed. It should look like a smooth ball in 5-10 minutes.
6. Remove dough from mixing bowl and shape into ball.
7. Grease mixing bowl with light spray oil, then return dough ball to greased bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or lightly-damp tea towel.
8. Place covered bowl in warm place and let dough rise until doubled in size—about 30 minutes, 80° F is ideal temperature. Try putting covered bowl inside turned-off oven with light turned on.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

1. Add softened butter, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar to bowl.
2. Mix with spatula or hand-mixer until smooth and combined. Set aside for later.

Assembly

1. Once dough has doubled in size, remove it from mixing bowl onto lightly floured surface roll dough out to 12"x15" rectangle, about ½" thick.
2. Smear cinnamon sugar mixture on top dough, leaving about ½" space along outside edges dough to prevent overfilling.
3. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly on top dough, if desired at this stage.
4. Tightly roll dough into log shape, starting from long edge. For 8" x 13" pan (12 rolls): score out 12 evenly spaced sections with serrated knife, before cutting each roll. For 10" round cake pan (8 rolls): score out 8 evenly spaced sections with serrated knife, before cutting each roll.
5. Assemble buns in well-sprayed pan, then cover with plastic or tea towel to let rise for another 15–20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375° F (350° F if using convection bake).
6. Pour heavy cream over buns prior to baking. Bake buns for 20–25 minutes until tops are golden brown in color (or internal temperature reads 180° F). If tops are getting too dark and buns are still not fully baked, lightly cover buns with foil to slow down browning.
7. Remove finished cinnamon rolls from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes.
8. Drizzle buns with toffee sauce (if desired) or top with cream cheese frosting and serve warm.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. While cinnamon rolls are baking, make cream cheese frosting in separate bowl, combining softened butter and softened cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at time. Mix with hand mixer until just combined.
3. Add vanilla extract and whip until frosting is fluffy and light— 1–2 minutes.

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