November 23, 2013

Pecan Sticky Buns

Pecan Sticky Buns
Pecan Sticky Buns




Growing up we had a huge holly bush in our front yard. When I say huge it was well over 50 years old and had never been trimmed. Every year at Christmas our neighbors would come over and ask if they could have holly for the holidays. My mother loved sharing the holly and it was a nice way to catch up with neighbors. For me the holly was one of the sure signs that Christmas was coming. We would cut a huge basket full of branches and decorate the table in our living room. My mother would add tall candles and candle holders and on Christmas Eve it was beautiful.

Christmas Eve was always the bigger holiday in our house. While I loved opening presents Christmas morning, Christmas Eve was special. My mother would host a party every year and our entire family would come over. We had a tiny 2 bedroom cottage house and it would be busting at the seams. My mother would cook for days and the house smelled wonderful and looked beautiful with candles and lights everywhere. There would be small plates of pickles, olives, smoked oysters and crackers. 7 layer bars, brownies, cookies, veggies, and cheese trays would be all over the house. It was an evening to enjoy the season and most of all family. There are many things that I miss about my mother, but I think the biggest part for both my father and I are those Christmas Eve parties. Neither of us have felt the same about Christmas Eve since she passed. Christmas is still wonderful, but Christmas Eve will always be my mothers.

I often times try multiple recipes for the same dish. There are so many small changes that can be made to a dish that drastically change the outcome. A few weeks back I tried a new recipe for Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns. They were great, but my husband wanted me to try a recipe that was more brown sugar based. This week I tried a new recipe for Pecan Sticky Buns from the Number 160 issue of Saveur magazine.
Lake Vesuvius
Lake Vesuvius

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes 2 hours 30 minutes (plus fridge time) and makes 12 servings. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First I mixed the dough by hand. While I have a great kitchen aid mixer, oftentimes I prefer to make my dough by hand. The original recipe was heavy on butter. While I love butter as much as the next person since my kids were eating the majority of this recipe I reduced some of the butter. I cut the butter down by more than half to a total of 1 1/2 sticks. 3 1/2 sticks for 12 buns was just a little too butter heavy for my tastes. The reduction in butter worked out well and the dough still rose beautifully. Plus my kids and husband didn't notice the fat reduction so a win-win all around.
Lake Vesuvius Spillway
Lake Vesuvius Spillway

My husband preferred this recipe to the last one I tried. The combination of 3 types of sugar made for a great molasses taste on top and sweet swirled bun in the center. Cutting down on the butter was a nice way to make the recipe more family friendly. If you are taking this to a party I would keep the recipe with the full amount of butter, but for home baking the modification worked out well.

For the recipe go to Pecan Sticky Buns.

14 comments:

  1. Just mouthwatering...looks easy and delicious!

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    1. Thanks, they really are easy and my kids and husband loved them!

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  2. I think Christmas Eve is bigger for us, too. Of course Santa comes Christmas morning, and we have a family dinner, but everyone always seems to get more excited about the festivities on Christmas eve.

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    1. It was the same way for me growing up, I was always more excited about Christmas Eve. Not that I didn't love the presents on Christmas morning.

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  3. Oh, yum. My husband makes cinnamon buns once in awhile and I always enjoy them. Your sticky buns sound amazing.

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    1. Everyone in my family loves cinnamon buns also, I bet the ones your husband makes are yummy!

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  4. Senta and the most awaited dinner come on Christmas Eve around here. These little cinnamon delights you made look like a dream! :))

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    1. My mom allowed me to open half of my gifts (the ones from family etc) on Christmas Eve and half on Christmas morning. Christmas Eve is still my favorite, plus it helps me to remember my mom :)

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  5. We do Christmas on Christmas Eve here too because hubby and I are too excited to wait (we like watching the kids open their presents). Ridiculous, but true. And I don't think I've ever seen real holly...now I miss that I haven't. :)

    Hurrah for pecan sticky buns!

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    1. Real holly is really beautiful. The trees can get huge though, ours was gigantic!! I love that so many people celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve was always special growing up in our house :)

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  6. Christmas Eve has always meant more to me than the actual Christmas Day as well. I loved the excitement of the day before Christmas. That night we would all get together singing Christmas carols. I miss those days with my mom and dad.

    I love sticky buns but have never made them. I might just try and make these.

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    1. The sticky buns are great from scratch and they aren't half as hard as many people would think.

      I love that you guys got together and sang Christmas carols, what a great tradition!

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  7. I am really looking forward to making these Christmas morning! These look great, but I do agree 3 1/2 sticks of butter is too much!

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    1. If you make them, tell me how they turn out (good or bad :) I agree that 3 1/2 sticks of butter is a little too much!

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