Caramel Apple Pecan Rolls

Let me just say it one more time - I apologize for this picture because it does a great injustice to one of the most wonderful things I've ever made. Gee, that sounds quite boastful, but I am awfully proud!

I went on a hunt for a GF cinnamon roll recipe a few days ago. I landed at the I Am Gluten Free blog and found a recipe for one (by Robin Ryberg) which had rave reviews. It sounded like a good bet and I'll tell you it was. I couldn't help but wonder what other combinations I could come up with. I didn't have to think long and hard for this one I've posted. I think I like it even better than the cinnamon rolls. This recipe is less sweet overall, and I love anything with nuts.

The dough for this recipe comes out pretty soft. It will whip up like a thick cake batter but will be fairly sticky. You could use parchment paper to roll this out on, but I think you might still benefit from cooking spray as well. I have a teflon mat that is very anti-stick and so I use it whenever possible.

After rolling the dough out to about 13X13 inches, I pull out two pieces of plastic that will cover my dough. I first spray them with cooking spray and lay them spray side down over the area I will be rolling the dough out to. I then use my rolling pin (I actually have a small Pampered Chef one that I love, and no, I don't sell it) and roll it out to the dimensions I want. The plastic pulls up nicely off of it when I'm done.

I then spread out my filling - apple sauce (I used my homemade chunky kind) and brown sugar. When I was done with that I began rolling it up. This may or may not be tricky for you. I've done this twice and one time my dough was more solid and easier to manage than the other time. Such is the fickle nature of GF ingredients I'm afraid. I was able to lift up my teflon mat a bit until the dough began falling over and off of the edge so that I could get it started. The goal is to roll this up lengthwise all the way. Dust your hands and the roll with some more corn starch if that helps. Then, cut 1 1/2 inch segments and lay them, cut side down in a cake pan or a tin.

The time I made cinnamon rolls, I was able to cut the dough very nicely and they actually looked like the spiral things they should be. When I made this variety, I had a harder time and needed to wet my knife each time I cut a piece. They didn't look so pretty in the pan and I was disappointed, but then they rose up so nicely and it looked great. So, don't worry, just get in there and do it!! I then baked this batch in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. About 10 minutes before they were done, I added some chopped pecans and a little more brown sugar on the top. You can also melt a couple tablespoons of butter and drizzle that over the pecans and brown sugar before the last 10 minutes of cooking. Then, I drizzled caramel sauce over the top before inhaling.

These are so very, very good. You'll be proud to serve these to your gluten-eating friends (if you have any - ha ha). I did read that you can make these rolls up ahead of time and put the uncooked batch in the fridge to cook later. They will be okay, but not as good as baking fresh. These rolls are still quite lovely the next day. I was really impressed at that.

So...I have given you a lot of instructions before the actual recipe and you can always go to the post at I Am Gluten Free to read the basic instructions there. Or...if apples, pecans, and/or caramel syrup is not your thing, please try the cinnamon roll recipe from Robin Ryberg listed there.

Ingredients for Caramel Apple Pecan Rolls:

Dough:

2 tablespoons shortening (I used butter-flavored Crisco and you can use plain butter but I think it tends to melt out underneath the rolls too much)

1/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 packet yeast

1 egg

1/4 cup oil (I used canola)

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 cup corn starch

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (I use guar gum)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In mixing bowl, combine shortening and sugar. Add yeast to warm milk and let set to foam (about 10 minutes) before adding to sugar/shortening mixture. Then, add remaining ingredients. Mix for a full minute for dough to get thicker. Follow instructions given previously in post for laying out dough and rolling it out.

Filling

About 1 cup applesauce (I used homemade chunky)

2-3 tablespoons brown sugar

Spread filling over dough evenly as possible.
If your applesauce is very thin, you might want to consider cutting down the amount and adding some small pieces of chopped apple as well.


Topping
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Melted butter to spoon over (optional)
Caramel sauce to drizzle over after baking