Pecan Sticky Buns

Ages and ages ago, I posted a picture of these Sticky Buns. I've made them to sell at the bakery in Colorado and I've made them for myself and now I've made them again to sell at the farmers market. They're super delicious. It should be said that Carole Walters, whose recipe I've poached and simplified, has never lead me wrong. She is, however, quite a complicated recipe developer, liking the multi-stepped, overnight-type things. They're often worth the time or effort, but they're not for the shy of heart. Nor for dieters. But if you've neither of those frightful qualities, you'll be glad of this recipe.

It is one of the best things to pop these out of the pan all gooey gorgeous and burn your tongue on a hot pecan. When your eyes roll back in your head, you'll know it was worthwhile. Just plan a day ahead for this recipe and you're set.

Simple Sweet Dough
Makes 2#

1 T sugar
2-1/4 tsp (1 pkg) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water

3 T sugar
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour + more for kneading
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter

1/2 cup milk
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

Combine the yeast with the tablespoon of sugar and the warm water in a small bowl. Let rest 5 minutes, until yeast is dissolved and the mixture is bubbly.

In a separate bowl, cut the butter into 3 T sugar, salt, and flour until the mixture looks like sand, very finely textured. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Use a fork to blend the wet ingredients lightly together and then add in the yeast. Mix into the dry ingredients a little at a time until a rough dough forms. Knead lightly, adding up to 1/4 cup of extra flour, until the dough is smooth. Dough will be really soft and sticky. Butter a bowl and place dough into it. Smooth more butter over the top of the dough. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Sticky Buns
Makes 12 muffin-sized buns

Topping
1/4 cup soft butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 T honey
2 T light corn syrup
2/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Mix until smooth. Prepare the muffin tins by buttering each one generously, then smear a spoonful of this topping into each muffin cup, as evenly as possible.

Filling
2 T soft butter
2 T sugar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 350º. Roll out 1# of the sweet dough* about 1/2" thick or into a rectangle. Mix all ingredients and spread over the dough. Roll up the dough on the widest side, pressing to seal the end, and slice into 12 equal pieces. Press one piece lightly into each muffin cup. Bake 20-25 minutes, turning once midway through, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes, then invert — carefully! hot + gooey = burns — onto a platter. Eat as soon as you can safely touch the pecans without singeing a finger. They're also great the next day, if they last.

*Note that the dough recipe will make twice as much as you'll need for the sticky buns. Either double your sticky bun recipe or, as I like to do, make one half into cinnamon rolls instead. Super easy filling: roll out the dough to 1/2" thick, smear with butter, sprinkle with 2 T sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon, then roll them up and slice into 12 again. Bake in a buttered 9" square dish, about 20-25 minutes. Ice them if you like, but they're delicious plain.