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Pecan swirls
Nutty and sweet combine to make an easy and fun dessert.
SERVES
8
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/5 cup superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 stick chilled unsalted butter, diced
- 7 grams fresh yeast
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
For the filling:
- 1 cup pecan halves
- scant 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- A little melted butter for brushing
For the topping:
- 1 cup pecan halves, chopped
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
Directions
- Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
- Activate the yeast by mixing in a sprinkle of superfine sugar using the back of a teaspoon until the yeast becomes liquidy. Whisk the yeast into the milk, followed by the eggs, and then pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Place the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for 10–15 minutes. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap (or a cloth) and place in a warm dry place (such as a rack above a stove) for an hour.
- Make the filling by putting the pecans, sugar, and cinnamon into a food processor and grinding until the ingredients are finely ground.
- Once the dough has been rising for an hour, knead it for a further five minutes. Cut the dough into two and roll and stretch each piece on a lightly floured board until it measures about 10 x 14 inches.
- Brush some melted butter over the two pieces of dough. Sprinkle half the filling over each rectangle, then use a rolling pin to press it into the dough. Then, tightly roll each rectangle, starting at a long side, in order to create a jelly-roll-like shape. Cut each log into eight pieces (about two centimeters thick) and put the swirls into two deep baking sheets.
- Make the topping by mixing together the pecans, melted butter, sugar, and syrup. Brush each side of the swirl slices with the mixture. Cover and place in a warm dry spot for a further 30 minutes. Make sure that you leave enough space between each of the swirls to let them rise and expand.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once the swirls have risen, bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Let cool before eating (if you can!)
