Good Morning!

We had an eventful morning at the college of medicine today. Luckily, I brought some delicious treats for my CBI group so we were able to all mellow down a bit. Yes, my sticky buns saved the day (or so I'd like to think). I think the paper plates were actually used more than my baked goods, we drew a hormone time chart, feedback regulation, and a graafian follicle on them.

These sticky buns are incredibly easy to make and create a product which seems like you spent hours on it. I woke up at 8am this morning and these were ready to go by 9. That's how quick and easy they are. I modified the recipe by Ina a bit. I cut down the butter some (shocking, I know!) and substituted chopped dates for the raisins. I don't really like raisins (except for those cute golden ones), and I had dates on hand, so that's why I threw those in. You could substitute anything you'd like. I'm sure it would taste great with some dried apples or cranberries or with nothing at all. Also, I completely forgot to add cinnamon and they turned out great, but I think they would be even better with cinnamon.  The secret to these little bites of joy are puff pastry. They are absolutely perfect for sticky buns because they are so light, flaky, and buttery. The perfect combo with some sweet sugary glaze, dates, and pecans. Have a package on hand in the freezer for those surprise overnight guests or when you feel like creating something amazing in the morning.

Sticky Buns
adapted from Easy Sticky Buns by Ina Garten

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 c. chopped dates

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup standard muffin tin with non-stick spray and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Combine 1 stick of butter with 1/3 c. 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. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry and brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 c. of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon, and 1/4 c. of the chopped dates. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finished the roll with the seam side down. Slice the roll into 6 equal pieces and place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make a total of 12 sticky buns. 

Bake for 25-30 mins, until the sticky buns are golden brown on top and firm to touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only then scoop out with a spoon and invert. Scoop up the extra sugary sauce and pecans and spoon on top.