Spiced Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

The perfect cozy fall dessert is here! These pillowy cinnamon rolls are lighter than your usual recipe and pack a protein boost thanks to Good Culture cottage cheese. Enjoy gooey cinnamon spiced pecan butter sugar and spiced cream cheese frosting in every bite.

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Cottage Cheese Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 4 cups bread flour (480 grams)
• ¼ cup white sugar (50 grams)
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast (8 grams)
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Good Culture cottage cheese, blended (220 grams)
• ⅓ cup warm milk (80 grams)
• 2 eggs, room temperature (~110 grams)
• ¼ cup butter, melted (56 grams)

Spiced Candied Maple Pecans

• 1 cup pecan halves (100 grams)
• ¼ cup light brown sugar (50 grams)
• ¼ cup maple syrup (80 grams)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger powder
• ¼ teaspoon clove, optional
• ¼ teaspoon allspice, optional
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Spiced Cinnamon Filling

• 1 cup dark brown sugar (200 grams)
• ½ cup butter, softened (113 grams)
• ½ of the candied maple pecans
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon (16 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
• ⅛ teaspoon clove, optional
• ⅛ teaspoon allspice, optional
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 container of Good Culture plain cream cheese (198 grams)
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (180 grams)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger powder
• ¼ teaspoon clove, optional
• ¼ teaspoon allspice, optional
• ½ tsp kosher salt

Instructions:

Make the Dough

1. Into a stand mixer, add the bread flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast. Using the whisk attachment, whisk until the dry ingredients are mixed together.
2. In a blender, add cottage cheese, eggs and melted butter until fully smooth.
3. Pour cottage cheese mixture into the dry flour mixture and give it a mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Replace the whisk hook for the dough hook and let it knead for about 15minutes. Every 5 minutes, scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. After 15 minutes the dough should look elastic and you should be able to perform a window pane test (window pane test:gently stretch the dough thin enough to check if light can pass through). If your dough is not there yet, knead for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Grease a large bowl and place the dough in it. Wrap it with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm spot for about two hours or just until the dough is doubled.
   1. Good spots to place your dough to rise: a sunny window sill or a cold oven with the light on.
   2. You will know the dough has risen enough when you poke your finger into the dough about an inch without the indentation bouncing back immediately.

Make the Spiced Candied Maple Pecans

1. While the dough proofs, make the candied spiced pecans.
2. Line a small heat safe pan/plate with parchment, set aside.
3. Add the pecans, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice powder and salt into a small pan. Give everything a mix until fully combined.
4. Cook the mixture on medium low heat and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the pecans begin to look sticky and there are a lot of bubbles on the bottom of the pan.
5. Spread the candied pecans on the parchment lined pan and let them cool for about 7-10 minutes or until the sugar coating has hardened. Once fully cooled, the pecans should be glossy, glassy and have a candy like finish.
6. Once fully cooled, give the candied a good chop so they are bite size pieces.

Make the Spiced Cinnamon Filling

1. While the candied pecans cool make the cinnamon filling.
2. In a large bowl or your stand mixer, add the dark brown sugar, softened butter, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt and beat until fully combined.Scrape bowl in between to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Set aside.

Assembling + Baking

1. Prep your baking pans before the dough finishes its first proof. If you using individual ramekins, use 8 oz sized ones and grease each one with unsalted butter and set aside. If you are using one baking tray/dish, butter the dish and line it with parchment and set it aside.
2. Once the first proof if complete, punch the dough down with your hand.
3. On a lightly flour dusted surface, roll out the dough into an 18 x 12 rectangle. It should be about ½ inch thick.
4. Once rolled, spread the cinnamon butter mixture all over the dough using an offset spatula. Leave a small ¼ inch border bare to help when rolling.
5. Sprinkle ⅓ of the candied pecan mixture over the cinnamon sugar mixture.
6. Take the shorter 12 inch side of the rectangle and cut it into twelve 1 inch strips. Use a pizza cutter, if you don’t have one, a sharp knife will also work.
   1. Wipe of any cinnamon filling that gets stuck on the cutter/knifebefore cutting the next strip.
7. Roll up each individual strip to form a cinnamon roll. Place each roll into the prepared pan.
8. Once all the cinnamon rolls are arranged in the pan, wrap the tray/ramekins in plastic wrap or a damp towel and let them rest for 45 mins to an hour or until they are puffed up and springy. They should have doubled in size by the end of the rise, if not, let them proof for another 15-20 minutes.
   1. If you’d like you can also place the cinnamon rolls in the fridge and bake them fresh the next day. If you do this, make sure you let the cinnamon rolls proof for about 60-90 minutes the next morning for that 2nd proof or until they are nice and fluffy and doubled in size.
9. In the last 20 mins of the second rise, reheat the oven to 350 degrees.
10. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20-25 minutes just until blondish brown in color

Frosting + Serving

1. While the cinnamon rolls bake, make the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, spices and salt at a low speed until just combined. Then increase the speed to medium and continue beating until creamy and thick.
2. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 10 minutes and then slather on the frosting generously all over. Finish with the remaining chopped candied pecans. Serve and enjoy!
   1. Store any leftovers in an airtight container, they will last fresh for up to 3 days. Heat up any leftovers in the microwave for a little bit for the perfect warm cinnamon roll!