I have no technique

Being the granddaughter of a baker, it might come as a surprise to you all that I have no skill whatsoever when it comes to anything with flour, yeast and an oven. I prefer a stovetop and spices, or maybe I am just more comfortable with a that. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am impatient; and because I get bothered with messes and goopy fingers. So, it came as a surprise to me this morning that I woke up and wanted to bake something. But! I did not want just any random baked good. I wanted cinnamon rolls… with pecans… doused in lots of icing. And being inspired by new blog, I ignored the can of cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator, found a recipe on Epicurious and started.

First and foremost, you should know this recipe requires time because anything with yeast needs to rise. For hours. A fact I forgot and was thoroughly disappointed to read as I perused the recipe. But, the milk and butter were already melted so I trudged on (obstacle of impatience: overcome). You should also know I have no idea how to knead. This is where I lack technique (amongst other things, but let's not delve into that...). When I scraped the dough out of the bowl and began to attempt to knead, my hands became goopy and I became frustrated. Thankfully, my mom came to the rescue with extra flour and guidance (obstacle of fear of messes: overcome... or at least dealt with for the time being). After about ten minutes, the dough was less sticky, my fingers less goopy and my hope began to rise (pun totally intended). With the unskillfully crafted dough ball ready, I began my wait…


I wanted pecans so while the dough was finishing its rise (about 10 minutes before), I chopped and toasted about half a cup of pecans. When the dough finished rising (finally!), I rolled it out flat using my mother's pretty marble roller and layered the filling mixture and pecans. Then it was time to roll! It’s kind of like rolling sushi, but much harder considering you don’t have the bamboo mat. I learned that if you initially spread the dough too thin, it might tear as you roll and the yummy sugar-butter-cinnamon-pecan innards spill out ::sadness::. I had two mishaps due to thinness (whoever said thin was good anyways?), but I just grabbed some extra dough from the sides and performed a patch job. I cut the pseudo-sushi roll into about one-inch pieces; it yielded 13 rolls.


I arranged the rolls snuggly in a pan and then… I read it. I had to let them rise for another 45 minutes! Gah! Out of boredom, I took more pictures...


Once that was finished, I stuck the pan in the oven until they were golden brown. The end result was yummy, even if it was more cake-like than bread like. The pecans really sealed the deal, so I highly recommend them. I would actually probably add another ½ cup of pecans next time I make these little rolls of awesomeness. There. I baked something. I might do it again... But, not too soon.


Here’s the recipe, with the alterations I made. Follow the (link) for the true recipe.

I actually wrote this last weekend, but it took me this long to get the pictures of yumminess.

I was listening to "Glass Onion" by The Beatles when I posted this :)

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ½ cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
½ cup sugar 1 large egg
2 ¼ teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (from 2 envelopes yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling:
½ cup of chopped pecans
¾ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Glaze:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
For dough:
Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add 2 ½ cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 10 minutes. Form into ball. Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling:
Toast pecans. Mix brown sugar, butter and cinnamon in medium bowl. Punch down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15x11-inch rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon-butter-sugar mixture evenly, leaving about 1 inch along edges. Layer pecans. Starting at 1 long side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, cut dough crosswise with thin sharp knife into 18 equal slices (each about ½ to ¾ inch wide) (yielded 13).

Spray a 9-inch square glass baking dishes with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

For glaze:
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.