TWD: Pecan Sticky Buns

TWD: Pecan Sticky Buns


I had one of those weekends that lasted forever. Lots of time with my family, great food and gardening. True bliss.


It's started off rocky on Friday evening; both my husband and I arrived home in equal measures of grumpy.  Because we both take great pleasure in food, on days that the two of us cannot decide what we want to eat we have a hard time shaking our funk. We made Nathan and Sarah their usual Friday night dinner: Annie's Mac and Cheese and hot dogs.  I know we are foodies.  How can this uninspired menu be a tradition?  Listen our kids love risotto, steak medium-rare, mushrooms, Greek salad with lots of feta cheese, mussels and can be pretty much be brought to any kind of upscale restaurant. So how can we forsake them that one night a week when they have comfort food on their terms.  With the kid's tummy's taken care of, what are we to do?


What could shake us out of our indecisive and sad state?


 


So frozen yogurt it was. Jason and I actually ended up having dinner-in-reverse.  We're sure that we began a new food craze.  Dessert first then followed by dinner. While our quesadilla dinner did not live up to the corn tacos with chipotle skirt steak with avocado cream (http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/04/dinner-for-two-hot-hot-hot-chipotle-steak-tac.html)  that we made on Thursday night, dinner-in-reverse was the way to go.


Sunday morning began with a trip to Gerry's Donuts in Ellington, CT.  If you don't have a local doughnut place near you; I feel sorry for you.  This is one of those no-nonsense kind of places.  The donuts are made fresh and are spectacular.  They have cake-like and yeast-based donuts and other than these breakfast treats there is a very limited menu.  If you go to Gerry's and walk in wearing your Sunday best, don't tell them I sent you. I don't want to be associated with you.  It's a place to grab a black coffee and a strait-forwardly awesome doughnut wearing your sweatpants and Red Sox hat. Anything other than that you are a pretentious loser.


The sticky bun ADVENTURE began on Sunday night.  



I prepared the brioche dough and place in the refrigerator for the overnight rise.





On Monday evening, Sarah helped me roll out the dough.  While we made a whole batch of the brioche, we decided to take half of the dough and freeze it to make sweet rolls this coming weekend.







Sarah and I had a bit of the butter and brown sugar from the pan. Crunchy, sweet, yumminess. 





Sarah tried the pecans and decided that while she liked them she wanted her sticky bun to have no nuts.  That was a given for Nate.












I wasn't able to capture it super well here but you could see the layers of butter.  





This morning, I woke up at 4:00 am and took the rolls out of the refrigerator and let them rise for 2 hours before I got up again and put on the oven. The buns entered the oven at about 6:15 am.


The smell when I got out of the shower was intoxicating. Sarah and Nathan sat by the oven and watched and waited for them to be ready to come out.





Nathan and Sarah were so nervous when I immediately turned the rolls over on a plate.
These were such a bit hit.  My husband who is not huge on sweets for breakfast gobbled one up.  What a great way to start the morning.


I realized that I'm no longer afraid to tackle the croissants.  Bring it on!


See you all in June, can't wait to learn what is next.