Recipe from Kayla, PopCosmo’s Teen Chef: This Sticky Buns Recipe will make your house smell SO good. Waves of fragrant cinnamon, sweet caramel, and toasty pecans fill the kitchen, and the scent makes this delectable breakfast taste even better! First of all, it's important to distinguish between cinnamon buns and sticky buns. Sure, cinnamon buns are delicious, but this sticky buns recipe is so much better when you bake them in gooey caramel and drown them in liquid pecan praline. I make them in individual muffin cups instead of cramming the buns into one tin because each one has some crunchiness, and you don't have to worry about unrolling them when you pull them apart. These are perfect for Mother's Day brunch because you don't have to get up really early in the morning to cook an elaborate breakfast; you can do everything the night before, stick them in the refrigerator after the second rise, and bake them in the morning. It'll be one of the best Mother's Day presents your mom will ever get!
Sticky Buns Makes 12, recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated
3 Eggs 3/4 Cup Buttermilk 1/4 Cup Sugar 1 1/4 tsp + Pinch Salt 2 1/4 tsp Yeast 4 1/4 Cups Flour 6 T Butter, melted but cool 9 T Butter 3 T Butter, melted 2 tsp Cinnamon 1/2 tsp Nutmeg 1 3/4 Cups Light Brown Sugar 6 T Corn Syrup 2 T Heavy Cream 1 tsp Vanilla 3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans, toasted In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whisk eggs to combine. Add buttermilk. Whisk in sugar, salt, and yeast. Add two cups of flour and 6 T melted butter. Beat until just combined, then add in remaining flour. Knead with dough hook for five minutes. Knead by hand for one minute.
Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free area for 2-3 hours.
Meanwhile, combine 6 T butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3 T corn syrup, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until bubbling, then pour into a greased muffin tin.
Combine 3/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Roll the dough into a 16"x12" rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3 T melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Roll into a cylinder and cut into 12 buns.
Place the buns into the cups. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free area for 2-3 hours.
Heat oven to 350F and adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Bake the buns for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, coarsely chop the pecans. Combine 3 T butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 T corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a medium skillet. Cook until bubbling and butter is melted. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla and pecans.
When the buns are finished cooking, invert onto a rimmed cookie tray. Place a spoonful of pecan topping onto each bun, and serve!
For more delicious recipes by our Teen Chef, Kayla, check out her blog, The Nerdy Chef!