Apple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Instructions

1. Dough
2. Warm milk in a saucepan, watching carefully the temperature to 110℉, using a food thermometer
3. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and 2 eggs.
4. In a separate stand mixing bowl, combine 4 cups flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, yeast packet and 1.5 teaspoons salt.
5. Attach the dough hook to your mixer.
6. Pour dry ingredients into stand mixer bowl.
7. Turn mixer on low speed.
8. Slowly add your milk/egg mixture to the dry ingredients.
9. Once combined, turn your mixture up a notch to a medium low speed.
10. Continue to mix until elastic, approximately 6-8 minutes.
11. Slowly add 6 tablespoons of the butter, one chunk at a time.
12. Continue to mix for 10 to 15 minutes until dough is a soft ball (if it is too sticky you can add up to 1/2 cup more of flour, 1 spoon at a time).
13. Prepare another large bowl by spraying it with cooking spray.
14. Remove your dough from the mixing bowl and place into the large bowl you just sprayed.
15. Cover the dough ball with a light tea towel (or plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray).
16. Place the bowl in a warm area of the kitchen and let rise for approximately 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
17. 10 minutes before the dough is done rising
18. In a small bowl combine apple butter, 2/3 cup brown sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon (set aside- this will be the filling)
19. In another small bowl (microwavable) combine 1/3 cup honey, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 4 Tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.  Heat in microwave for 45- 60 seconds until butter is melted, remove and stir mixture.
20. Prepare a large baking dish (9x13) by spraying with cooking spray.
21. Pour the warmed honey/sugar mixture into the baking dish.
22. Sprinkle the chopped pecans into the baking pan.
23. Back to the Dough
24. Now that the dough is doubled in size, remove from mixing bowl and place on the counter (that has a little flour on it).
25. Roll out the dough, sprinkling with flour as needed, into a rectangle at least 18 inches wide (the larger the length the more layers of swirls you will have in your cinnamon rolls).
26. Once the dough is the right size, spread 2 Tablespoons of melted butter over the surface (using a cooking brush is the easiest way).
27. Taking the apple butter mixture, spread it over the butter layer you just added to the dough.
28. Take one wide side of the dough and carefully roll up
29. Now that you have a log of dough, cut into equal pieces (12 is a small cinnamon roll, 8 are pretty large rolls)
30. Carefully place the cinnamon roll dough spiral side up into your baking dish.
31. Once you have all of the rolls in the pan, cover with a tea towel again (or use the plastic wrap that was sprayed with cooking spray)
32. Let the dough rise again for another 2 hours (or you can place in the refrigerator at this point and let them rise up to 16 hours later- like the next morning).
33. Baking
34. Now that the dough is risen for a second time, preheat the oven to 350℉.
35. Place dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the dough is a golden brown.
36. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
37. Icing
38. In a mixing bowl, combine 3 Tablespoons butter, 3 Tablespoons milk, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1.5 cups of powdered sugar.
39. Mix well.
40. Spread over cooled cinnamon rolls.