Maple Pecan Twists!

Life's been crazy....as I'm sure everyone can relate to! Sometimes I feel like I use that craziness as an excuse to not do some of the things that really should take places of higher priority on my "get-er-done" list. For instance, I have two dear friends who are both 89-years-old. They are both AMAZING ladies- funny, pleasant, good conversationalists,sweet.......and they are both house-bound. I used to see Opal weekly on my Meals-On-Wheels route. She was my favorite client....we'd laugh and chat until I checked the clock, then out the door I'd run to make it to my other deliveries on time! Lois, my other friend, has been a part of my life since childhood. She and her hubby had been my parents' bosom buddies. She taught me in Sunday School. Her kids grew up with me and my brother....I just love her.

But in my "craziness", both of these ladies had fallen off my radar. Opal stopped receiving Meals-On-Wheels and Lois just wasn't "front and center" in my mind. After all, I was "busy"......How sad! Thankfully, that still, small voice within me brought them back to my attention. So yesterday, I EZ DOH-ed up some rolls first thing in the morning and made enough to take to both of them. It was such a delight to visit with them! And though the time I spent with each of them wasn't long, it was sweet.......Just like these rolls! 

Why don't you take a moment to sweeten someone's life today?! 

Maple Pecan Twists!

Dough:

1 Cup warm water

1 packet/Tbsp. Red Star Platinum Yeast

2 Cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 ½ Cup unbleached bread flour (You can use all all-purpose flour – the bread flour makes a slightly lighter dough)

¼ Cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/3 Cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

Pecan Filling :

¼ Cup finely chopped pecans

2 Tbsp. maple syrup (or maple-flavored syrup)

2 Tbsp. softened butter

½ tsp. cinnamon

(Mix ingredients together)

Maple Icing:

1 Cup powdered sugar

½ Tbsp. softened butter

¼ tsp. maple flavoring

1-2 Tbsp. milk

(Mix ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle – I like to put mine in a sandwich bag and pipe it on to the rolls)

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated. Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled. Prepare pecan filling while dough is rising.

Remove dough from bucket. Roll dough into a 16x10” rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread half of the filling down the center of the dough. Fold one outer third of the dough over the filling and spread the remaining filling over the folded dough. Then fold the remaining dough over the filling. Pinch the seams to seal.  Cut the rectangle into 16 – 1” strips. Twist each strip and place one inch apart in a greased 13x9” pan. Form 2 rows of eight strips each. Cover and let rise until almost double. Bake at 360 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan. Drizzle with maple icing. ENJOY!!! 

Adapted from a recipe in "Betty Crocker Best Bread Machine Cookbook" 

Visit http://www.wildyeastblog.com/yeastspotting/ for more delicious breads 

Maple Pecan Twists!