Christmas Traditions

Christmas is all about traditions. The smell of cinnamon rolls reminds me of the holidays and time with my family. Something I looked forward to every Christmas morning was my mom’s cinnamon rolls. They’re gooey and buttery and loaded with pecans, my favorite part! I remember helping my mom in the kitchen, just tall enough that if I stood on my tippy toes I could see the flour dusted cutting board, watching her roll the dough back and forth. With my nose on the edge smelling the ingredients I used to sneak my hand up to the top and pinch off a piece of dough! I’d pop it in my mouth so fast hoping my mom wouldn’t catch me.

Fast-forward and now my kids are sneaking pieces of dough from my cutting board! Dan and I alternate the holidays so when we aren’t sharing Christmas with my mom I make sure to bake a batch of her cinnamon rolls for my family to enjoy Christmas morning. It’s a tradition that I’d like to teach my kids in hopes they make them for their kids so the tradition continues for many more generations.

While I’ll admit these are time consuming to make, I promise they’re worth the wait!

Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls

7 cups flour
2 packages of dry yeast
½ cup warm water
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup sugar
½ brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cups pecans (only chop ½ cup)
½ cup Crisco shortening
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt

Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water in large mixing bowl. Add milk, white sugar, shortening, salt and ½ the flour. Mix slowly on low until well incorporated. Slowly add the remaining flour.

On flour dusted surface add the mound of dough and knead for 5 minutes.

Using a paper towel, use a dab of shortening to grease a large bowl. Add the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1 ½ hours. Punch dough down, reshape into a ball and let rise for 30 more minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place dough on work surface and using a rolling pin shape into a rectangle. Spread 2 tablespoons of soft butter over dough. In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle the mixture over the butter and top with chopped pecans.

Starting with the long side (closest to you) roll the dough into a log and pinch both sides. Cut dough into 15-18 pieces.

Melt the ½ cup butter and pour into greased baking pan. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and evenly spread the pecan halves. Place the rolls on top of the pecan mixture and let the dough rise another 30 minutes. Bake 25 minutes and enjoy with a tall glass of milk!