Food & Drink

Pecan-Praline Rolls

Name: Pecan-Praline Rolls
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 4 teaspoons baking powder; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 3/4 to 1 cup whipping cream, room temperature; 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened; 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 12 pecan halves; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1 tablespoon praline liqueur; 1 tablespoon whipping cream

Sugary, nut-studded rolls with European influences and Texas roots

By CJ Lotz Diego

April 11, 2017

Photo: Sandy Wilson

Texas has a long-standing tradition of European baked goods, which arrived with an influx of German and Czech immigrants in the mid-1800s. These nut-studded rolls reach next-level deliciousness with a glaze of sugar, whipping cream, and praline liqueur. “Although it is highly unlikely that they had access to liqueurs for making tasty glazes,” Chef Terry Thompson-Anderson says, “I’m certain they would have appreciated the addition.”

Recipe from Terry Thompson-Anderson, excerpted from Breakfast in Texas: Recipes for Elegant Brunches, Down-Home Classics, and Local Favorites

Pecan-Praline Rolls

Cream Pastry

- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 to 1 cup whipping cream, room temperature

Filling

- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 12 pecan halves

Praline Glaze

- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon praline liqueur
- 1 tablespoon whipping cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter 12 muffin cups; set aside. To make the pastry dough, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in enough cream to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently about 15 times until the dough comes together into a cohesive mass. Roll the dough out into an 18 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the filling butter. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, chopped pecans, and cinnamon; reserve ¼ cup for topping. Scatter the filling ingredients evenly over the buttered dough. Beginning on the long side nearest you, roll up tightly, like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam to seal. Place the dough roll so that it’s seam side down and cut it into 24 slices, each about ¾ inch wide. Stand 2 slices, side by side, and on the edge, in each muffin cup. Gently spread the slices apart so that they form a “v” space in the center. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the reserved brown-sugar mixture in the center of each roll. Top each with a pecan half, pressing it lightly into the roll.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.