http://neilfeather.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=http://neilfeather.com/fwp_portfolio/1203/ It’s Christmas Eve?! Wait….WHAT? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! If you have a house full of people or you still have a night of gift assembly and wrapping ahead of you, you’re going to need something easy for breakfast tomorrow.
Make these sticky buns after the kids go to bed tonight (before you start wrapping, because you won’t want to after…trust me), refrigerate, and bake.
These are actually quick enough that you can probably get away with making them on Christmas morning while the kids are all playing with their new additions.
Look, I know, they’re completely not healthy. They’re full of sugar and butter. I’ll own it, I’m not ashamed. All I have to say is it’s CHRISTMAS! Let them have sugar for breakfast and run around like wild animals for just one day of the year, and give yourself a break and have one too. Maybe the sugar induced crazy town will even be a little entertaining.
A Quick Word on Puff Pastry
In culinary school we learned to make puff pastry from scratch creating thousands of layers of butter and flour by folding and folding…and folding.
Do I do this when I’m baking desserts and pastries at home? No, no i don’t. I do, however, drive to the freezer section of my grocery store and pick up a package of store bought puff pastry. I like to take blessings as they come, and letting someone else do this heavy lifting gives me more time back to spend with my family. It’s all about balance people, and shutting down your inner-critic. I suggest you start that process with puff pastry.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Quick Fruit and Nut Sticky Buns
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Serves 10-12
- 1/2 C. Butter, room temperature
- 1 C. Brown Sugar, divided
- 4 TBS Butter, melted
- 1 C. Pecan Halves, toasted
- 1 TBS. Flour for dusting
- 1 box store bought puff pastry, 2 sheets
- 1/2 TSP. Ground Cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 TSP Ground Allspice
- 1/4 C. Dried Pitted Dates, chopped
- 1/4 C. Dried Cranberries
- 1/4 C. Dried Mission Figs, chopped
- 1/4 C. Golden Raisins
- 1/4 C. Powdered Sugar for dusting
- If you plan to bake your sticky buns immediately, preheat your oven to 400. Using a mixer with the paddle attachment cream together 1/2 C. Butter and 3/4 C. brown sugar. Spoon 1 TBS of sugar and butter into each cup of a 12 cup muffin tin. Place 3 or 4 pecan halves into each cup and sprinkle 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon into the cups evenly.
- Lightly dust a stone or wooden surface and unfold the first puff pastry sheet (a package contains 2) and lay on the floured surface with folds going left to right. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the pastry with 2 TBS melted butter. Sprinkle half of the remaining brown sugar, about 2 TBS, evenly over the pastry then sprinkle dates and cranberries evenly on top of the brown sugar. Finally sprinkle 1/8 TSP ground cinnamon and 1/8 TSP ground allspice evenly over the pastry.
- Starting from the side closest to you, fold the edge of the pastry up and over the sugar and fruit, tucking somewhat tightly. Continue to roll the pastry like rolling up a jelly roll. Brush the edge farthest from you with any extra butter and continue rolling all the way with the seam side down. With a serrated knife, using back and forth cutting motions trim the ends of the roll to straighten it up then cut the roll into 6 pieces and place each piece in an individual muffin tin cup on top of the butter, sugar and pecans.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the second puff pastry sheet using the mission figs and golden raisins. At this point you can refrigerate your sticky buns over night or freeze them if you plan to serve them a few days from now.
- Bake sticky buns in a 400 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes until brown sugar melts and turns into a sticky toffee. The sugar and butter could leak out of the muffin tin so place a cookie sheet in you oven on the rack below the muffin tin to avoid having to clean burnt sugar from the inside of your oven.
- Allow the sticky buns to cool for no more than 5 minutes (any longer and the sugar will solidify). Slip a pairing knife around each bun to loosen them and turn the buns out on a piece of parchment or serving platter. Turn them so the sugary bottom is now the top and arrange the pecans on each bun (they will probably fall off, it’s ok. Just put them back on before the sugar cools completely). These sticky buns are best served warm, but I’m sure you’ll have no trouble getting them eaten even if they are room temperature.
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