Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 12-14
Ingredients:
- 2 pkg. active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 4-1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4-6 Tbsp. heavy cream
Preparation:
For filling, cream 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in pecans and set aside.
Divide dough into 6 parts. Roll out each part on floured surface to a 12x6" rectangle and spread each with 1/6 of the pecan filling. Roll up, starting with 12" side, pinching dough to seal. Place in a crescent shape on foil-lined or parchment-lined cookie sheets, seam side down. Make cuts along outside edge of crescent, 1" apart, to within 1/2" of other side. Turn cut pieces on their sides, twisting the dough slightly. Repeat with remaining dough to make six coffee cakes. I put three coffee cakes on 1 cookie sheet.
Let rise in warm place until light, about 45 minutes. You can also, at this point, refrigerate the coffee cakes, covered, overnight. Then bake as directed in the morning, adding 5-10 minutes to baking time. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Carefully remove from cookie sheets to wire racks using 2 spatulas and frost while warm.
For frosting, heat 1/2 cup butter in heavy saucepan. Watching carefully, cook butter until it just begins to turn light brown. It burns very easily, so don't leave the stove during this step! Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough cream for desired spreading consistency. Frost coffeecakes.
Makes 6 coffeecakes, technically serving 36, but actually serving 4 if you let people eat all they want to!
