The holidays as fast approaching and with that comes an abundance of family, friends and occasions when you want to make  special treats.  Here’s a switch from a traditional cinnamon roll that is sure to delight.  Using Rhodes™ Frozen Dinner Rolls will make it easy to knock their Christmas socks off!

Chocolate Pecan Rolls

12 Rhodes™ Frozen Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature *(see below for a thawing tip)

5 Tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup brown sugar

Icing:

4 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray OR use a silicone mat to combine your rolls and roll out the dough into a 12″ X 16″ rectangle.

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter and brush over the rolled out dough.

In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup light corn syrup. 

Let it come to boil over medium heat; allow to boil for 1/2 minute and then remove from the heat.  Let sit until slightly cool.

Spread sauce over buttered dough.

Combine chocolate chips, chopped pecans and brown sugar.

Sprinkle over dough.

Roll up, starting on the long side.

Seal off the edge by pinching the edge of the dough into the roll.

Cut rolled dough into 12 equal pieces and place in a sprayed 9″ x 13″ baking pan.

Cover rolls with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size.  Remove plastic wrap and bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Combine icing ingredients; melt and bring mixture to boil for 1/2 a minute, just like you did before.  Drizzle over the warm rolls.

Don’t these look wonderful?  They are so delicious it is hard to stop at just one!

*Here’s my tip, one I came across by accident.  I found a bag of Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls that had gotten buried on the back shelf of my freezer. It looked like it might be too freezer burned to use…you know, with chunks of ice on the outside of the rolls.  If you scrape it off, the rolls don’t rise well and are dry.  I’ve tried that before and they didn’t turn out well.  I was going to toss the bag, but decided to put it in the refrigerator for another day, another try to see if it might be redeemable.  What I found out was that as it sat in the frig, it re-absorbed the moisture and it worked fine for making the pizza I wanted it for.  A word of warning:  you have to be careful because the dough rises in the frig – it didn’t break open, but the bag looked like it was about ready to pop.

I have become super busy lately, and  I was finding it hard to find adequate time for the thawing process.  Then I thought it might cut down on the prep time to put the rolls I needed to thaw out in the frig the night before.  I put the 12 rolls needed for this recipe in a heavy-duty Ziploc bag, sealed it and put it in the frig.  The dough is still cold, but completely thawed and you’ll be much closer to the baking step, no matter what you’re making with them!