Ingredients
- Cinnamon Rolls:
- 2 medium russet potatoes
- 1 oz. active dry yeast, (4 packets)
- 3/4 c. + 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp. salt
- 9 c. flour
- Filling:
- 4 c. pecans
- 4 c. brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tb. cinnamon
- 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- Icing:
- 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1/4 c. milk
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preparation
Step 1
To make the rolls: Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full with water and set on high heat to boil. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Add the potatoes to the water and bring to a second boil. Decrease the heat to medium until the potatoes are simmering. Cook the potaotes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the potatoes, reserving 3 c. of the cooking water. Set the potato water aside to cool, until it registers 110-115 degrees on a candy thermometer. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes--you will have 1 1/2-2 cups worth--by hand or unsing a mixer on medium speed.
In a medium bowl, mix the reserved cooled potato water, yeast, and the 1 tsp. of sugar. Stir until the yeast has dissolved. Let the mixture rest until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the potatoes, 3/4 c. sugar, melted butter, eggs, salt and yeast-potato water. Add the flour in 3-c. increments and stir with a spoon until the flour is incorporated. Place the dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place until the dough in size, about 1 -1 1/2 hours. Leaving the dough in the bowl, punch it down until it deflates (1-2 punches with your fist will do). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. At this point the dough can be refrigerated until the next day.
To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the pecan on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in the oven 7-9 minutes, until golden brown and aromatic. Coarsely chop the pecans. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it in half. On a clean, floured surface, roll each half into a 1/4" thick rectangle. Spread each rectangle with half of the melted butter. Cover each buttered rectangle with half of the brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle the dough with an even layer of pecans.
Generously grease two 9x13 disposable pans with butter. Carefully roll up each rectangle, starting on 1 long side of the dough. Using a very sharp serrated knife, cut each roll crosswise in 2" slices. Place the slices, cut side down, in the pans, spacing the rolls about 1" apart so t hey have room to expand. Make sure the end flap of each roll is set snugly against a side of the pan, so it does not unravel while rising. Put 8 rolls in each pan. (At this point the rolls can be tightly covered in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and frozen up to 3 weeks. Defrost the rolls in the refrigerator overnight or for 1 hour at room temperature and continue following the directions from this point.) Set the rolls in a warm, draft-free place and let them rise until they get puffy, 45minutes-1 hour. Preheat ove to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until light brown.
To make the icing: Combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread the icing on top of the rolls while they are still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.