Basic Sweet Dough

Michigan Milk 4 cups
Yeast 2 tablespoons
Michigan Sugar 1 cup
Salt 1 tablespoon
Michigan Butter (melted) stick (4 oz)
Nutmeg 1 teaspoon
Vanilla 1 teaspoon
Michigan Eggs 4
All-purpose flour 6 - 7 cups

Heat milk until a skin forms on surface, remove from heat and add butter. Allow mixture to cool. Add eggs, sugar, yeast and vanilla and beat into the milk mixture. Gradually add the flour and salt. Stir until a smooth but sticky dough is formed. Cover and let rise in a warm place.

Filling for Sweet Dough

Softened butter 8 tbsp
Michigan Brown sugar 1 cup
Cinnamon 2 tbsp
Michigan Dried Cherries, chopped 1 1/2cup

Smear

Michigan Brown Sugar 1 cup firmly packed
Cinnamon 1 tbsp
Michigan Butter, melted 12 oz (3 sticks)
Corn syrup 3/4cup
Michigan Honey 1 cup
Pecans pieces 2 cups

Cream first three ingredients. Using an electric mixer, slowly blend in syrup and honey on MED speed. Reserve the pecans for the assembly process.

Roll dough into a large rectangle. Using a pastry brush, apply the melted butter on the dough. Mix together the brown sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the butter. Evenly distribute the chopped cherries over the dough. Roll the dough up jelly-roll style and seal the edges tightly. Let rest while preparing the pan.

Take a 12” X 18” baking sheet and apply one quarter to one third inch of the smear to the bottom. Be careful not to use too much. Sprinkle the pecans onto the smear. Save remaining smear for another pan. Take the prepared sweet dough and cut it into circles until all the dough is used. Place the rolls, wide side down on the prepared pan about 1” apart. Place pan in a warm place and proof until almost double in volume. Bake at 350 – 375° F for 20 – 25 min. or until smear is a rich amber color.

After removing from the oven, immediately invert the pan onto a clean serving dish.