Pecan Cinnamon Scrolls

This old favourite is perfect for an after-school treat, and guaranteed to be greeted with enthusiasm. Make the dough in your PJs the night before, then the next day set your kids free in the kitchen to finish off the job. It’s a win–win!

MAKES 8 LARGE SCROLLS

DOUGH

450 g (1 lb/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour + extra, for dusting

2 teaspoons dried yeast

1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) tepid milk

1 egg

½ teaspoon salt

SCROLL FILLING

80 g (2¾ oz) butter, softened

110 g (3¾ oz/½ cup firmly packed) soft brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

90 g (3¼ oz/¾ cup) toasted pecans, finely chopped

MAPLE GLAZE

60 g (2¼ oz/½ cup) pure icing (confectioners’) sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

METHOD

To make the dough, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, milk and egg in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Hook on the lowest speed for 1 minute, then add the salt and hook for another minute until smooth and elastic. Knead the dough briefly on a very lightly floured work surface, and shape into a disc. Rest on a plate lined with baking paper, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, turn the base of a 24–25 cm (9½–10 inch) springform tin upside down, so it no longer has a lip. Place a piece of baking paper over the base, then clamp the ring around it to secure. Grease the ring, then cut strips of baking paper to line the side.

To make the scroll filling, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl, and rub until the crumb has a sandy texture. Add the nuts, and mix until combined.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 40 x 30 cm (16 x 12 inch) rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 2 cm (¾ inch) border. Roll this as snugly as possible, with the longest side forming the length of the log. Cut into eight equal slices, and space them evenly in the tin with the spiral/scroll pattern facing upwards. Allow the scrolls to rest in a draught-free spot in the house – and a warm one if possible – until they have doubled in size (1–3 hours, depending on the weather).

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced.

Bake the cinnamon scrolls for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 170°C (325°F) fan-forced and bake for another 30 minutes. (If the scrolls are browning too quickly, place some foil over them.) Allow the scrolls to cool briefly, before releasing them from the tin and turning out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing.

To make the maple glaze, mix the icing sugar with the maple syrup and a little water until you have a smooth, runny consistency, then drizzle over the scrolls with a spoon or pipe in a zigzag pattern using a piping bag with a small hole snipped off the tip.