Midwestern Recipe: Caramel-Pecan Rolls

See...these are the moments when I wish I had some neighbors that were lifelong friends who I could invite over for a fresh, ooey-gooey caramel roll that was made from scratch. They'd come over and we'd sit down with a cup of coffee and their kids would be all sticky from the ooey-gooey caramel. And I would encourage seconds when their moms really just want them to have one.

After the yeast disaster earlier in the week, I had grand success with this batch. See, I can't shy away from failure. I can't let it beat me even in my baking world.

So, the picture to the left shows just how ooey-gooey they turned out to be! I found this recipe on the Taste of Home website. The caramel sauce was just how I liked it.

CARAMEL PECAN ROLLS
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
2 eggs
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups all-purpose flour

CARAMEL SAUCE:
1 cup butter or margarine, cubed
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans

FILLING:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the eggs, butter, sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, for sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with pecans; set aside.

Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface. Roll into a 17-in. x 15-in. rectangle. Spread butter to within 1/2 in. of edges. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; inch seams to seal.

Cut into 15 slices. Place cut side down over caramel sauce. Cover; let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes; invert onto a serving platter.