One whiff of these irresistible Maple Pecan Coffee Cake Twists and I’m back home in Evening Shade, Arkansas waiting impatiently for my mom to tell us we can have one. I've made a few changes of my own and I'll show you how to make them with a shortcut!
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My mom made the original version, Maple-Nut Coffee Twists, often from the 1969 20th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off bookazine. She still has the original recipe and sent me a copy.
I made a few changes of my own. I traded out the artificial maple flavoring and some of the granulated sugar with real maple syrup. I also use a dough hook to replace kneading by hand.
Lastly, I prefer softened butter to melted to spread between the layers of dough.
Oh, and I added more pecans! If you don't have hot roll mix on hand or would rather not use it, I give you the amounts of flour, yeast, and salt to use from your pantry.
What's the shortcut in this recipe?
The shortcut in this recipe is using Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix. Even though the recipe is not a quick and easy recipe, the hot roll mix does cut down on measuring some ingredients and they are conveniently packaged in a box in case you don't have flour, oil, salt, or yeast in your pantry.
If you prefer to use your own ingredients I give the amounts to substitute in the printable recipe NOTES.
Using a dough hook on a stand mixer also replaces kneading the dough by hand.
How do I make the twists?
Place a 2 ½ –inch cookie cutter or drinking glass in the center of the top circle. Do not press it all the way through to the bottom.
Starting at the center and cutting toward the outside edge, cut 16 wedges, then gently lift each of the 3-layered wedge and twist 5 times to form a spiral pattern.
Place the spiral on the pan, gently pressing the end of the spiral on to the pan to hold its shape.
My entire family was waiting not-so-patiently for me to serve up these warm, sweet rolls-including our cat, Grizzly.
Other bread recipes you will love!
No-Knead Yeast Rolls (Spoon Rolls)
Churros with Vanilla Icing for Dipping Sauce
2 Ingredient Biscuits from Scratch
Chocolate Biscuit Strawberry Shortcakes
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Maple Pecan Coffee Cake Twists
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Ingredients
- 1 16-oz box Pillsbury hot roll mix (It includes package of yeast)
- ¾ cup warm water 110° (23 seconds in a 1100 watt microwave)
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons very soft butter divided
Filling
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
- 1 to 2 teaspoons whole milk or half and half
Instructions
- Pour yeast over warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup and let stand about 5 minutes to dissolve. It will look puffy. If you stir this, make sure to add back any yeast that sticks to the spoon or leave the spoon in the measuring cup for now.
- Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer just until lightly beaten. I like to use a stand mixer so I can knead the dough with a dough hook instead of by hand. Add the dissolved yeast and 3 tablespoons maple syrup.
- Add the hot roll mix and vegetable oil slowly as the mixer is on medium-low speed. Beat until hot roll mix is thoroughly combined. At this point, you can trade out the mixer paddle attachment for the dough hook and beat 3 minutes or turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand at least 3 minutes or until it looks smooth and elastic. This basically means it will spring back when you push your fist into the center. This will probably take 5 minutes by hand. You can’t overwork yeast bread dough, really. You want to develop the gluten unlike biscuits where you avoid it.
- Coat the same bowl lightly with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm place (85°)40 minutes or until dough doubles in size. (*See my tip in the Notes below for creating your own proofing oven.)
- Meanwhile, combine Filling ingredients in a small bowl: ⅓cup sugar, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and pecans.
- Uncover dough and punch it down. This is a good time to takeout your frustrations if you have any…and we all have them. Divide the dough into three balls. I do this evenly by weighing the dough with my kitchen scale.
- Roll one ball into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fold in half and gently transfer it to a pizza pan or I use a well-loved pizza stone. Spread 2 tablespoons butter over the circle of dough and sprinkle with one-third of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat this procedure twice with the remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar mixture. You will be stacking the second circle on the first one and the third circle on the second one to make three layers.
- Place a 2 ½ –inch cookie cutter or drinking glass in the center of the top circle. Do not press it all the way through to the bottom. Starting at the center and cutting toward the outside edge, cut 16 wedges, then gently lift each of the 3-layered wedge and twist 5 times to form a spiral pattern and place the spiral on the pan, gently pressing the end of the spiral on to the pan to hold its shape. Remove the cookie cutter.
- Cover with a lightweight kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place 30 minutes or until spirals have doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 375°. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool 10 minutes.
- Combine ingredients for the icing: powdered sugar maple syrup and milk and drizzle over the twists. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
I updated this recipe on 12/20/21 with valuable information.
Jean Mayfield
Where do you find the Pillsbury Hot Roll mix? I have been looking for it in Gardendale for months/years and have not found it. Thanks for any help!
gritsandgouda
If you can't find it at your local store Amazon sells it. https://amzn.to/32YlJj2 , although it is pricey there. I also give all the amounts of flour, yeast, etc. in the recipe just in case the hot roll mix cannot be found. I once measured everything from the hot roll mix just in case this happened!