Sticky Buns

So, I have awesome parents who are big fans of my cooking and of my new blog.  Tell me this bamboo cutting board with my blog name isn’t the most creative gift…my Mom had this made for me for Mother’s Day!!!!

 I guess you can say a lot of people are enjoying this new cooking experience…the tasting part at least ha ha!! 🙂 So last recipe I had a lot of firsts, not to be outdone this one was full of them too!  Now I have cooked with 5 sticks of butter…yes 5!  I almost couldn’t take it but of course no one is eating all 14 of the buns so…moderation…as I always say.  If you would like the recipe, and I think you will, check out our host blogs this time around: Lynn and Nicole.

I actually really enjoyed making the sticky buns (Pecan Sticky Buns minus the pecans)…totally new experience.  I have never made brioche dough or started with a sponge.  I felt like the whole time I was making these buns I wasn’t quite sure if I was on track.  Since I had no experience with this kind of dough it seemed a lot like, “well I am reading the recipe and following it so I hope they turn out!”  I made the sponge and then used my kitchen aid mixer to kneed the dough.  I was worried since people had posted this could burn out the mixers since you work the dough for 15 min but I double checked with my owner’s manual and set it at the correct level and my mixer performed beautifully!!

  

Now that the dough was prepared onto the first rise…and the second…

Now this next step I thought was the strangest part of the whole thing…I wonder if anyone else had dough do this…I am assuming it was suppose to but after the overnight rise in the fridge, when I took out half of the dough to roll out…the dough was like a sponge inside…had to take a picture…I have never seen anything like this..although never made this dough either ha ha!

I proceeded like this was how the dough was suppose to look but I had my doubts…

 

I now had my roll all prepared.  I chose to freeze both of the rolls until I was ready to bake.  The day I was going to bake, I took one of the rolls out of the freezer and let it sit on the counter to thaw for about an hour and half.  I prepared the pan…which you just have to see to understand!!!….

Yes, that was one whole stick of butter smeared on the bottom of the pan…unbelievable!  I cut the roll into the seven buns and let them rise for the final time.  It is suppose to take about 2 hours but mine took 4…I think since they had started out frozen.  I just waited until they came together…patience!

 

Seriously…these buns were AMAZING!… a lot of work and a lot of time,  but at least in the end… amazing!  I am the type of person that does not eat many decadent desserts but this one was right up my alley!  I would never eat two, but the one was delicious and absolutely a keeper!!!

Hungarian Shortbread

Wow…this was a recipe full of  “firsts”:

• first time buying, using, or tasting rhubarb
• first time using 4 sticks of butter in one recipe
• first time grating frozen dough to make a crust
• first time using a vanilla bean

I actually really enjoyed making this recipe for that exact reason!  Because of this recipe, I now know what rhubarb is and what it tastes like.  It was an interesting process working with the rhubarb…can’t say I really liked the smell of it while I was making the filling but it did taste ok once it was done.  I did think it would be a more vibrant red color though…maybe mine in the raw form weren’t red enough.

      

I had trouble using my vanilla bean…it wouldn’t split open very well to scrape out the seeds.  I put the whole pod in the way the recipe called to do and somehow in the filling you could see all the vanilla seeds so I guess it worked out ok. 🙂  I made the filling a day early which worked out well and allowed it to firm up a bit.  The next day I mixed up the dough….yes…that is 4 sticks of butter!!!!!!

Seriously, that is too much…although the recipe is good, and everyone loved it, this might be reason enough for me not to make it again.  I thought the strangest part of this recipe was grating the frozen dough.  It was really easy to do…just didn’t look like cheese…in color or consistancy.

I thought this dough was really easy to work with.  I par-baked the bottom layer for 20 min as suggested on the p&q page.  It seemed to me it could have used a little longer but I am really thankful I followed the suggestion.  I think if I was to make this again I would add more filling.  I used one cup as the recipe stated but it wasn’t that pronounced of a taste…in fact a few people, including me,  said that these tasted like lemon bars which is funny since there were no lemons. 🙂 If you would like to have the recipe, check out our host blogs: 1smallkitchen and The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler.  I think this recipe was very good and easy to make.  Based on everyone’s reviews it will be a keeper…but only once in awhile with all of that butter!!! ;0