apple-pecan cinnamon rolls

-sorry no picture-

this recipe is actually my Nana's that we use for biscuits and crescent rolls, but it makes fantastic cinnamon rolls too! It makes a lot of dough, so you have a couple options. Split it in half (works great), store the leftover dough in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!, or use it all if you're baking for a crowd. =)

Biscuit Dough

5 cups of flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup shortening (don't substitute with butter--it doesn't work)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon yeast

2 tablespoons warm water

2 cups buttermilk

mix together the dry ingredients; cut in the shortening. dissolve the yeast in the warm water and stir into the buttermilk. add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and blend well. preheat the oven to 375* turn the dough out onto a greased counter. divide in half. roll the dough out into a rectangle--make sure you don't roll too thin, as the dough will break (I'd say 1/2"). smear with melted or softened butter and cover will sugar and cinnamon. I like to include a bit of brown sugar...it just seems to make them taste even better. now slice an apple very thin and lay the pieces on the dough. sprinkle with chopped pecans and roll up. place in a greased pan. you'll want them fairly close together. when the rolls bake they will be more like a coffeecake then individual rolls (this keeps them SO moist, even you happen to over bake them a bit). now repeat with the other half of the dough if desired. let them rise in a warm place and then bake them for about 25 minutes (until they are lightly brown, or however you like them). now it's time to ice them. I like to make a cream cheese frosting, but just milk, p.sugar, and vanilla is great too. enjoy, especially when they're hot!

if you omit the apples and pecans you will have a basic cinnamon roll--they are really yummy that way too, or with carmel on the bottom =)