Recipe: Elephant Ears

Elephant Ears
rec.food.recipes/Jane Krause (1997)

1 pkg. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup soft shortening
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In mixing bowl, put lukewarm milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and shortening. Mix well, and add 1 cup flour. Stir in egg and dissolved yeast. Mix well and add enough of remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn out on well-floured board; knead until smooth and elastic. Place in well-greased bowl; let rise in warm, draft-free place until double, around 1 1/2 hours. Punch down; on lightly floured surface, roll to rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter or margarine; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Fold in half; reroll into rectangle 1/8-inch thick. Spread with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Fold in half again; roll into 18 x 9-inch rectangle. Mix well cinnamon and 1-1/2 cups sugar. Sprinkle half this mixture over dough. Starting on long side, roll as for jelly roll; seal edges. Cut in 1-inch slices; place about 4 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Press palm of hand in sugar; flatten slices to 4-inch circles. Sprinkle tops with remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture and nuts. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until double -- 30 to 40 minutes. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.