Elephant Ears

Dough
3-3/4 to 4-1/4 cup flour
1/4 oz. pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. sugar
1-1/4c milk
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 tsp. salt
1 egg

Filling
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Topping
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans

In large bowl combine 2 c. flour and yeast. In 1-qt. saucepan combine 1/4 c. sugar, milk, 1/4 c. butter and salt. Cook over med. heat, stirring constantly, until warm (115 to 120F). Add to flour mixture; add egg. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1 to 2 min.) Beat at high speed, scraping bowl often, 3 min. By hand stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 min. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up.

Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size (about 1-1/2hr.). Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched. Punch down dough; divide in half. Roll each half into 12" sq.

In med. bowl, stir together filling ingredients. Spread half over each 12" sq. Roll each 12" sq. up jelly roll fashion; pinch to seal seams well. Cut each into 12 rolls. Place on greased cookie sheets 3 to 4" apart (about 6 rolls per cookie sheet). Cover with waxed paper; With rolling pin flatten each roll to about 3" in diameter. Do not remove wax paper; let rise in warm place 30 min.

Heat oven to 400F. With rolling pin flatten to 1/8" thickness; remove waxed paper. Brush rolls with 1/4c. melted butter. In small bowl stir together 1c. sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon; sprinkle over rolls. Sprinkle pecans over rolls. Cover with waxed paper; roll flat. Remove waxed paper. Bake for 8 to 12 min. or until golden brown. Remove immediately.

Orange Krispies: Omit cinnamon in filling. Add 1 T. grated orange peel to filling. Omit cinnamon and pecans in topping. Add 1/2 c. sliced almonds and 1 tsp. grated orange peel to topping.

AUTHOR: Footsie