Coleen's Decadent Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

If you ever want to celebrate a morning  you must make these maple glazed cinnamon rolls.

Sweet, fluffy, cinnamon-y, pecan-y, maple-y goodness, delectable rolls just for you.  All warm and fragrant and waiting...

You know you want it.   Just a nibble. A tiny corner where all the maple glaze just spills so sweetly over the edge.  Couldn't hurt.  Right?

My beautiful friend and cook extraordinaire, Coleen of Coleen's Recipes, bubbled with enthusiasm and compliments for these, and, no surprise, here,  she was so right. So when Coleen mentioned that I should make these, well, I knew that I just had to.  Coleen has many loyal followers and fans of her terrific cooking, but if haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, I encourage you to skip on over and visit.  Believe me, you won't want to leave, and if you're like me, you'll be bookmarking everything she makes.

Coleen's Pecan Maple Cinnamon Rolls

For the rolls:
2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar

One package dry active yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons if using bulk)**
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the filling:
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons softened butter (for spreading on rolled dough)

Maple Glaze
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple flavor extract (such as Mapleine)
2-3 tablespoons milk or enough to make a nice smooth glaze

Mix the buttermilk, vegetable oil and sugar in a saucepan and warm the mixture to about 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit, just below the boiling point.  (Alternatively you could use your microwave, which is what Coleen and I did.)  Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool down and then stir in the dry yeast.  Allow the mixture to sit for five to ten minutes, allowing time for the yeast to "bloom."

Add 4 cups (from the 4/1 2 cups required) to the liquid ingredients and stir well; no kneading is required.  The batter is heavy and sticky, but that's okay; it's supposed to be.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place for an hour.


In a small, separate bowl, mix the final 1/2 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir down the rested dough and add dry ingredients.  Mix until well incorporated. The dough will still be quite sticky.



Turn the batter out onto a well-floured work surface and roll the dough around a few times, coating the outside so that it is not quite so sticky.  Roll or pat the dough into a rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick.  Spread the dough surface with the 2 tablespoons of butter and then add evenly spread on the filling ingredients and top with the nuts, patting the nuts into the sugar.

Roll the dough up jelly roll style, keeping it as tight as you can.  Inch the seam shut.  Cut 1 1/2 inch slices and lay them cut side dwn, in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake in preheated 375*F oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and then sound hollow when you tap on them.  Drizzle with glaze while the rolls are still hot.

To make the glaze, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, using only 2 tablespoons of milk to start.  If the glaze is too thick, add additional milk in drops, stirring well in between, until the desired spreading consistency is achieved.

**A packet of yeast contains 2 1/4 teaspoons.  In Coleen's notes, she indicated she used an entire tablespoon, which is what I did (I am such a follower, grins).  The additional yeast gives it a little additional loft, I buy yeast in bulk,  but if you only have the packets of yeast, I'd used the suggested amount.