Many of you have been asking what I’m doing now that I’ve graduated high school. Also, you may have been wondering why I’ve been a baking machine lately.

First off, I have yet to tell you all how much I appreciate you reading this. Whether you stumbled upon this post, or have been with me since my old blog (ew, let’s try to forget that one.) Since then, I’ve obviously grew so much as a person. Just last summer I made a little page on the interweb that was probably pointless but made me happy. Since then, I’ve found my passion and rediscovered myself.

So, this fall I’m going to a local state college to get my business degree then I plan on going to culinary school for baking and pastry. I’ve found that I really like seeing peoples faces light up with they’ve tasted a homemade dessert baked with lots of love.

I’ve been baking desserts for my work lately (they even pay me on the side for it!) and their compliments really make my day. I’m getting some connections and really thinking about how far I can take this. My dream would be to have my own bakery. Selling fresh baked breads, pastries, and other baked desserts.

On a similar note, I’ve made something truly exquisite.

A pillowy pastry swirled with cinnamon sugar and topped with a sticky, caramel-y pecan mixture. You will need a napkin.

It’s like pecan pie and the best cinnamon roll morphed together- creating a heavenly, hand-held mecha of deliciousness. I can’t even wait for my boyfriend to try these. They’re all his favorites rolled into one.

This is one of the best things I’ve made. My co-workers were very impressed. They didn’t even believe I made this, they were that good. Like, I-should-sell-these-in-my-bakery-status.

Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls:

Ingredients: (makes 14 rolls )

For the dough-
1 1/2 cups warm water (around 100 degrees)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 packet of yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

For the topping-
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

For the filling-
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecan halves, chopped

Directions:

For the dough-
Add yeast to the water in a large bowl. Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve. Mix in salt and flour: Add all of the flour at once, measuring it with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping the flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula; don’t press down into the flour as you scoop or you’ll throw off the measurement by compressing. Mix with a wooden spoon. If necessary, reach into your mixing vessel with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Don’t knead! It isn’t necessary. You’re finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. Allow to rise: Cover a towel that fits well over the bowl you’re using. Allow the mixture to rise in a warm place (I put in in my microwave with the surface oven light on) for two hours. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to an hour after in rises.

For the topping-
While the dough is rising cream together the butter, sugar, and salt. Spread the mixture evenly among TWO 9-inch cake pans. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of pecans over each cake pan with the butter/sugar mixture. Set aside.

For the filling-
Cream together sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Cut the dough evenly in half. Take one half of the dough and pat it with flour. Lay it on a lightly floured surface and roll out onto a 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Spread the HALF of the filling mixture evenly over the top surface of the dough. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans over the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll tightly into a log- long ways. Cut into seven even pieces and seven in each cake pan- facing swirled sides up. Repeat with the other 9-inch cake pan. Let them both rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Bake at 350ºF for 18-25 minutes or until the middles are golden brown. After pulling them out of the oven, cut around each roll with a knife to separate them. Invert immediately onto a serving dish. If you let them sit too long, they will stick to the pan and be difficult to turn out. Spoon any of the topping remains over the rolls and enjoy!