Sticky Buns

Who can resist this caramel toffee sticky bun? So soft, flaky, and buttery. On my last visit back home my brother and dad kept going on and on about how they wanted my mom to make these sticky buns. I just couldn’t imagine why they would choose to have this sticky bun over my mom’s famous mini cinnamon rolls. And then she made them and they were wonderful. I will say that I still love my mom’s cinnamon rolls, but I wasn’t disappointed when the sticky buns were served instead. The puff pastry sheets used in the place of making a dough make this recipe so simple to throw together. I recommend you make them soon! After all, who can say no to this?

Sticky Buns

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12 tablespoons ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1 package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), defrosted

For the Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 12 cup muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar using a hand or stand mixer. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with melted butter, leaving a one inch border of the puff pastry. Sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finish the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll into 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Source adapted from: www.foodnetwork.com, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics