Vintage Kitchen: Cinnamon Pecan Rolls
A recipe from a vintage cookbook
A while back I did a series of recipes on my website called Vintage Kitchen, where I was cooking from my collection of cookbooks - some of which my social media followers have gotten glimpses of this month. It’s been a while, but due to spending quality time with those books photographing and curating the collages, I’m inspired to get back into it!
As I generally do, I made some slight variations on the recipe. I also prepared the dough differently than they recommended, as it was early, I hadn’t yet consumed enough coffee, and I was working on autopilot. Bread is second nature to me, like breathing, or walking. Whoops! I may have to go back and try it their way, although this turned out really well and went fast at breakfast.
I was preparing this for a Sunday breakfast with friends. I got up and got it started about 7 am, to serve at 9:30, but I have a warm kitchen. You may want to proof it in a warm (but not hot!) oven or the InstantPot (on the yogurt setting) if you are in a hurry. Otherwise, you can prepare it to the rolled stage in the pan, refrigerate it covered overnight, and then allow it to warm and rise for at least an hour before baking.
Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 12 large rolls
1/2 c warm water
2 tsp yeast
3 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 c warmed milk
1 egg, beaten
1 heaping teaspoonful dried orange peel
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 tsp salt *omit if butter is salted
2 1/2 c all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c spelt flour *can just use AP or use whole wheat flour
Filling
1/2 c brown sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c chopped pecans or other nut
Combine the warm water, yeast, some of the sugar, and the dried orange peel in your bowl. (note that I use and love my stand mixer, but this can be done by hand easily enough as it is a soft dough).
Warm the milk, the microwave for 30-45 seconds works nicely. Let it cool if it’s too hot (near boiling). Beat the egg separately. Start mixing the water mixture with the milk, and the egg, the remaining sugar, and add the flour a cupful at a time. After the first cupful is incorporated, add in the melted butter and salt. Mix all of the flour in. If using stand mixer, continue on low for about 5-7 minutes to completely knead the dough. It will pull away from the walls of the bowl and form a cohesive ball, and if it does not, sprinkle a little flour at a time in until it does. If kneading by hand turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.
Place dough into an oiled bowl. Cover, and allow to rise until doubled. This can take from thirty minutes to an hour, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Putting the dough in a warm place will help it along.
Once dough is risen, mix up the filling. Set it within arm’s reach. Turn the dough out onto a floured board, punch down gently to remove large air bubbles, and roll out into a rectangle, about 1/4” thick. Spread the filling evenly over this, and sprinkle on the nuts. Working on the long side of your rectangle, roll the sheet of dough up around the filling. You don’t want this to be too tight, or uneven, so move slowly at first and see how it goes.
With a sharp knife (I often use a serrated knife here) cut the roll in half, then each of those in half, then those into thirds. In a greased 9x13 baking pan, arrange the rolls with some space to rise between them. If you like them not to touch, do this on a large cookie sheet allowing at least 2” between each roll - they will not rise as high, but will have a nice crust all ‘round.
Place this pan, covered if you can, somewhere warm. I like to start the oven preheating to 375F and put the pan where the oven vents. Allow to rise about 30 minutes, until the rolls are doubled. Then put into the oven for 30 minutes until nicely browned on top. Cool for a fifteen minutes or so, then turn out onto a platter. There is no need for frosting, the filling running into the pan makes a light glaze! These are not the sweetest cinnamon rolls, which in my eyes is a good thing.
These are so fluffy and good! The orange peel and the spelt add a subtle nuttiness and fragrance to the dough, and work well with the filling, which although I made more than the recipe called for, is still less proportionally than my modern cinnamon roll recipe.
Seven people made short work of them served alongside sausage and omelettes aux fines herbes for breakfast. I have a feeling they will be asked for again!
This edition was published in 1969, and was updated from the original 1950 printing. I have many of the smaller booklets put out by the Culinary Arts Institute, which were collected later into this very nice tabbed book. If you can lay your hands on a copy, it would be a good addition to any cookbook collection.
My baking workspace! The Hoosier Cabinet is far from perfect and is missing many original parts (I would love the flour sifter, but alas), and the stand mixer is new my-last-birthday, but it is my happy spot and as cluttered as it may seem, I can lay hands on whatever I need in an instant. It is, in it’s way, as vintage as my cookbook collection tends to be.
And a bonus recipe, taped inside the cookbook I was using today. I haven’t tried it yet, let me know how it is if you do!
