Elvis Rolls

I am by no means a huge Elvis fan. (My uncle is, though.) But I am, however, fascinated with the hubub around the Elvis Sandwich. Restaurants all over the country have some sort of a take on it. There’s even a whole section on it in his Wikipedia page. To quote Wikipedia, which I’m not sure anyone should ever do, “A news report suggests that, based on renditions of sandwiches named after him, Presley ate his with caramelized bananas and crispy bacon on grilled Hawaiian bread, and grilled by his mother or his cook in bacon fat.”

I’m not here to recreate another version of the Elvis Sandwich. I do think that it is an amazing combination of flavors, though. So I wanted to fly past sandwich land and carry the combo into another genre of food. That’s where the cinnamon roll came in. Peanut butter, bacon and caramelized bananas tucked into fluffy cinnamon rolls and topped with a Tennessee whiskey glaze.

Fat Elvis woulda loved it.

Peanut butter, bacon and caramelized bananas, tucked into a cinnamon roll and covered in a Jack Daniels glaze.

Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Cinnamon Rolls with Jack Daniels Glaze
adapted from Betty Crocker

for rolls
3 ½ to 4 cups AP flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 packages fast-acting dry yeast
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg

3 bananas
3 tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup butter
¼ cup peanut butter

½ lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (more for garnish, if desired)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp butter, room temperature
½ tsp vanilla
2 tbsp Jack Daniels

Stir 2 cups of flour, sugar, salt and yeast until mixed.

Heat the buttermilk over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. Add the buttermilk, butter and egg to the flour mixture. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. (Scrape the batter from the sides and bottom, make sure you get it all.)

Add in the rest of the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough is soft and easy to handle (but still a little tacky to the touch).

Lightly flour your work surface. Start kneading your dough. Work it! For about five minutes or so (using more flour if needed).

Spray a large bowl  with cooking spray and place your dough in the bowl. Turn it over once so cooking spray covers all of the dough. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and a damp dish towel. Set some place warm. Let rise for an hour and a half. The dough should be about twice the size as it was when you started. When you press your fingertips about a half inch into the dough, the dent should remain.

Meanwhile, begin preparing your spreads and sprinkles.

In a small skillet, combine the bananas and 3 tbsp of brown sugar. Cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently. Bananas will begin to break down and caramelize. Set aside.

Put peanut butter and butter into a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until well combined. Microwave for additional 10 seconds increments if needed to melt it down. Set aside.

In a new bowl, combine 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon with a fork. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray 2 round cake pans with cooking spray.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 15×10 blob. Spread the peanut butter mixture over the dough. (Leave about a ½” edge.) Next, drop spoonfuls of the bananas over the dough, spreading out with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle with the brown sugar mixture. Next, sprinkle with ¾ths of the bacon.

Beginning on the longer side, roll up the dough tightly, pinching the edges of it to seal the edges. Stretch and shape the roll until its smooth and even. Using a serrated knife, cut into 1 in. slices. Place the slices in the prepared cake pans.

Place on the middle rack of your oven. Place a piece of foil or baking sheet on the rack below (to catch any bubble-over). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven.

In a small bowl, blend butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and Jack Daniels. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls and sprinkle with remaining bacon. Serve warm.