for about five months now our big grand canyon adventure (21 mile hike from the south rim to the north rim, elevation gain of 6,000+, all done in one day) had been quietly looming over me. the soles of my hiking boots were barely scuffed by the streets of new york and i still had no control over my hiking poles which swung beside me in a chaotic mess of unruliness. so with one day left before the hike and my stomach filled with butterflies, i did the only thing that i could think of... i filled it with food instead.
maybe a sugar rush wasn't the best idea to calm our nerves! but the sweet sweet caramely coating on these sticky buns did take our minds off of the canyon for an hour or two. ina garten really has done a wonderful job at taking delicious recipes and making them accessible and enjoyable to all. even her recipe for beef bourguignon (one of my very first big cooking feats) turned out perfect and is still one of my boyfriend's favorite meals i've made. and this one can now join the pile. sticky buns, in minutes.
Easy Sticky Buns
Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in large pieces
1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and 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 tight 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
maybe a sugar rush wasn't the best idea to calm our nerves! but the sweet sweet caramely coating on these sticky buns did take our minds off of the canyon for an hour or two. ina garten really has done a wonderful job at taking delicious recipes and making them accessible and enjoyable to all. even her recipe for beef bourguignon (one of my very first big cooking feats) turned out perfect and is still one of my boyfriend's favorite meals i've made. and this one can now join the pile. sticky buns, in minutes.
Easy Sticky Buns
Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in large pieces
1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and 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 tight 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
perfect food for your pre hike meal!
ReplyDeleteI remember watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa where Ina made these-- the idea of making them with puff pastry sounded so intriguing! I almost went to the store right then to try them out, but I hesitated and decided to wait. Your photographs are beautiful and are reaffirming all the hopes I had that these sticky buns would be fantastic!
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