Today's recipe is courtesy of my clean freezer. Hidden away in the depths of the awful storage drawers prevalent in refrigerators today, I happened upon some puff pastry that had been frozen since Christmas. It was time to either use it or lose it so use it I did and I made the easiest pecan sticky buns ever! These Puff Pastry Pecan Sticky Buns with Maple Bourbon Glaze took minutes compared to the classic yeast rolls and honestly were so good I maybe never go back to the day long process that those require.
It's no secret I'm not into process shots but I took some quick snaps with my cellphone for these...maybe to show you how simple? The pastry is thawed and rolled out ever so slightly just to get rid of any bumps or lumps. The mixture of brown sugar, pecans and butter is spread over the pastry which is then rolled, cut and put into a pan with some of the mixture and extra pecans in the bottom. Let me tell you about that step.
OK, so I thought initially that I would put pecans and some of the ooey gooey mixture on the bottom and then flip the rolls over. First they never got big enough to touch each other so it was simple to remove them as is and second, they just looked prettier this way. So I would still follow the directions I've laid out. I sure loved that bit of crunchy topping baked on the bottom with some toasted, sweet pecans baked into the mix. Seriously yummy. Plus I think those pecans helped to dissipate some of the heat of the pan and kept the bottoms from getting too crispy while I waited for the tops to brown so it's ALL good!
A lot of recipes for Pecan Sticky Buns just put some pecans on the top. Um no. I want them to be PECAN Sticky Buns so I've chopped them for the filling and also included some whole ones. I was in Pecan heaven. The Maple Bourbon Glaze is just another example of my taking every advantage possible to add bourbon to anything I make with Maple Syrup. I LOVE the two together! Still...the booze is optional (but WHY would you?) 🙂
I promise lots of shots with my newly painted gray table. Not that the table is the be all and end all but my new space is...I eat EVERY meal out here I love it so much. Probably means some shots with my phone too like this one...the 'dig-in' photo. Yes, within moments almost gone. Make them...so easy and delicious!
Puff Pastry Pecan Sticky Buns with Maple Bourbon Glaze
Puff Pastry Pecan Sticky Buns with Maple Bourbon Glaze
Ingredients
For the Filling
To Make the Buns
For the Maple Bourbon Glaze
Instructions
For the Filling:
- Combine the brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and butter in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Set aside ¼ cup in a separate bowl.
- Butter the inside of a 9x13 pan. Scatter the 1/4 cup of filling on top of the butter, followed by the half cup of whole pecans.
- Thaw the puff pastry as directed on package. Remove one sheet and place on a lightly floured work surface. Keep the other sheet refrigerated till ready to use. (I had a specialty store brand that was just one sheet but the product available in most grocery stores has 2 sheets).
- Sprinkle the puff pastry sheet with ½ of the brown sugar mixture; up to about a half inch from the edges.
- Roll pastry sheet up tightly; slightly dampen the end of the sheet with water and press into the roll for it to adhere. Cut the roll into 6 equal slices. Place the slices on top of the nuts and nut mixture in the pan and press them down slightly.
- Put the pan in the fridge to keep cold while working with 2nd sheet of puff pastry. Repeat steps and refrigerate all of the buns for an additional 15 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. After dough has chilled for at least 15 minutes, reduce the over temp to 375˚F and bake for 15-18 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
- Allow rolls to cool while you prepare the maple glaze.
- Combine all of the ingredients and mix well with a fork or whisk.
- Adjust with a bit more sugar or water if necessary to get desired consistency.
- Using a fork liberally drizzle the glaze over the buns. Serve immediately.
by Creative Culinary
