Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans on an ungreased baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until the pecans are toasted, fragrant, and light tan on the inside when broken in half, about 8 to 12 minutes. Stir the pan once halfway through, set a timer, and don't walk away during the last few minutes (nuts love to burn at the last moment). Transfer to a cutting board, then finely chop. Set aside.

Step 2

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Step 3

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Step 4

On a lightly floured work surface, unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry so that the folds open left to right and the seams run vertical. Roll it to a 10-inch square (if it is not already). Lightly brush the sheet all the way to its edges with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on all sides of the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with half of the sugar mixture. Starting with the end closest to you (the "bottom" of the square), tightly roll the pastry up and away from you like a sleeping bag around the filling. The roll will expand sideways somewhat and a bit of the sugar will fall out, which is fine. End seam-side down. Trim off about ½ inch from each end of the roll and discard. With a serrated knife, slice the roll in 8 equal pieces. Each will be about 1 1/3 inches wide. Arrange each piece, spiral side facing up, on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and remaining filling, spacing the rolls evenly and allowing them plenty of room to spread.

Step 5

Bake the rolls for 18 to 22 minutes until they are golden brown on top and firm to the touch. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool.

Step 6

While the rolls cool, prepare the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk. The glaze should be a little thick, but still pour easily. If you’d like it thicker, add more powdered sugar; for a thinner glaze, add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time. For easy frosting, scoot the rolls on the parchment paper so that they are touching at the edges. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the rolls then immediately sprinkle with pecans. Let the glaze set for a few minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.