Apple Pecan Sticky Buns Recipes

EASY STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. 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 the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 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. Be careful - they're hot! 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.

APPLE BUTTER STICKY BUNS WITH PECANS AND CURRANTS

Steps:

• Lightly grease a large bowl and set it aside. In a small bowl, mix together the milk, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and the yeast, and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add the milk mixture and egg, and mix the dough on low until almost combined, about 3 minutes. (You may need to help it along with a spatula at first.) Add the 6 tablespoons of butter all at once, and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, another 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add up to 1 tablespoon more flour. It should still be very moist but the bottom of the bowl should be mostly clean. Transfer dough to the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it stand until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a full boil and looks foamy with large bubbles. Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with the pecans and currants.
• Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the dark brown sugar and cinnamon.
• When the dough has doubled, tip it out onto a very lightly floured surface. Knead it once or twice to expel the air, and then roll it with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 10-inch square. Spread the apple butter evenly over the surface and sprinkle with the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Tightly roll the dough, and pinch the top seam closed. With a serrated knife or using a piece of floss, cut the roll crosswise into 8 pieces. Set them in the prepared pan, spirals facing upward.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let the rolls rest until the dough has almost doubled again, about 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the rolls and bake until deep golden brown and set, 28 to 32 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes and then carefully cut around the edge with a paring knife and invert the rolls onto a serving plate.

MAPLE-PECAN STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the yeast, buttermilk and 1 tablespoon sugar, and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, salt and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir to combine, then add the butter and toss to coat in the flour. Add the eggs and buttermilk mixture, then mix on low to combine, about 1 or 2 minutes.
• Increase speed to medium, and mix the dough until it is soft, billowy and clearing the sides of the bowl, but still sticking to the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough seems very, very soft and still sticks to the sides of the bowl, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time (up to about 4 tablespoons).
• Lightly grease a separate large bowl with butter and transfer the dough to it. Turn the dough to coat with butter, then cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour, then refrigerate the dough for 1 hour more. (Alternately, refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours after the first rise, then proceed with the recipe as written.)
• When you are ready to bake the rolls, make the topping: In a medium saucepan (to prevent boiling over), combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over medium and cook for 1 minute. The mixture will thicken slightly. Pour the mixture into a metal 9-by-13-inch baking pan and tilt the pan to evenly cover the bottom with the syrup. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top, and set aside.
• Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
• Assemble the rolls: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat or roll it into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle that's 1/4-inch thick. Gently spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving about 1 inch of unbuttered dough on the long edge furthest from you. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the top of the butter. From the long end closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log. With the seam side down, use a serrated knife or length of floss to cut the log into 12 even pieces.
• Place the rolls spiral side up into the prepared pan, cover and let rise until puffy but not quite doubled in size, about 45 minutes. (This may take a little longer if you refrigerated the dough for longer than 1 hour after the first rise.) If you'd like to bake them later, you can refrigerate the rolls in the pan before this second rise for up to 24 hours. Let the rolls rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size before baking. They will take longer to rise after chilling, depending on the ambient temperature.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and the caramel is bubbling a bit around the edges. Carefully run an offset spatula or thin knife around the edges of the pan. Let the rolls cool in the pan on a rack for about 5 minutes, then flip them out onto a serving tray or sheet pan. Let cool for a minute or two, then enjoy warm.