Barefoot Bloggers--Easy Sticky Buns

I just gotta say it...I love President Obama!

Now about this week's Barefoot Blogger....Ina does it again with this ooey, gooey, chewy, masterpiece. I put this creative recipe together in under 20 minutes. You can thank Melissa at Made by Melissa for choosing this winner.

Be aware... this is NOT a cinnamon roll. It is not like a Cinnabon "yeasty-bready" roll! This is a sticky bun; Caramely, salty/sweet and flaky/ crisp. As far as I am concerned both types of buns are worth learning how to make. But here below are a few notes about why you should try this recipe.

• quick
• luxurious flakiness
• yet a nice hefty dense weight (go figure)
  
• salty/ sweet
• easy clean-up
• no experience necessary
• looks and eats like a gourmet pastry
• amaze your company
• CONTAINS LOADS of BUTTER (you decide)
  
• makes exactly 12 buns
  
• just one bun will satisfy most
• made in two easy to handle batches
  

You make the caramel gooey topping by creaming butter and brown sugar together . Then divvy- up the pecans among the muffin cups.

After you roll the pastry into a log, slice it thick.

It goes directly onto the creamed butter, sugar and pecans.

You will get exactly 12 rolls. I did not bother trimming ends like Ina directed.

Invert them onto your parchement.

Here is the recipe from page 240
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 very large pieces
1 package (17.3 ounces/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. 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 one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of 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(unnecessary step). 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. 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.

For excellent recipes using frozen Puff Pastry check out http://www.puffpastry.com/default.aspx Peppridge Farms has dozens upon dozens of really stunning recipes.