Recipe: Perhaps A Sticky Bun
Inspired by: Into The Woods
Salted Caramel Bourbon Sticky Buns with cinnamon and pecans, paired with a “Milky White” Crème Brûlée inspired dipping sauce.
“And perhaps a sticky bun… or four.”
Ingredients
Milky White Dipping Sauce
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup of heavy or whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon of choice (or more depending upon taste)
Directions
Part A: Crème Brûlée inspired sauce
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon (or more depending upon taste)
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until thick and combined
In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat just until steam begins to rise. (NOTE: Do not let the milk boil.)
Remove milk from heat. Slowly add the milk to the egg yolk mixture, whisking after each addition until fully incorporated.
Return the mixture back to the saucepan and transfer back over to low heat.
Stir the sauce with a wooden spoon over low heat until it begins to bubble and/or it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.
Remove mixture from heat. Should there be any clumps at the bottom of the pan, use a hand strainer and pour contents through it so finished product is as smooth as possible.
Using a fork, slowly add vanilla extract and bourbon to the mixture until fully incorporated.
Store in refrigerator to chill.
Part B: Whipped Cream
1/2 cup of heavy or whipping cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream at medium to high speed.
Still mixing at high speed, slowly add sugar, until light and fluffy / soft peaks form.
Remove mixing bowl from mixer and add vanilla extract to the whipped cream with fork or rubber spatula until just combined.
Store in refrigerator to chill.
Ingredients
Baker’s Sticky Buns
Yield: Approximately 18 buns
2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted
1 cup warm whole milk
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
Sticky Bun Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 and 1/2 tablespoons bourbon of choice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup pecans chopped
Salted Caramel Bourbon Coating
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar packed
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons bourbon of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Part C: The Dough
2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter melted
1 cup warm whole milk
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
Place yeast and light brown sugar into stand mixer with whisk attachment.
Add the warm water and gently stir with whisk or fork. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until yeast has doubled and is puffed and foamy on top.
Add the melted butter, warm whole milk, greek yogurt and eggs to the bowl. Mix at very low speed until just combined.
Remove whisk attachment from stand mixer and replace with dough hook attachment.
Slowly add in the flour in 1/2 cup increments and knead the dough with the dough hook until it is smooth and forms a ball, about 5 minutes.
Take an empty mixing bowl and coat it with cooking spray.
Transfer the dough from the stand mixer to the empty bowl that has freshly been coated with cooking spray.
Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap or with a clean cloth towel.
Set aside and let the dough rise for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
While the dough rises, you can begin to work on the Salted Caramel Bourbon Coating.
Part D: Salted Caramel Bourbon Coating
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar packed
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons bourbon of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Melt the unsalted butter in a small pot.
Add the light brown sugar and heavy cream.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium.
Boil for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and sea salt.
Set aside.
Part E: Prep the Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 and 1/2 tablespoons bourbon of choice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup pecans chopped
Place the butter in a small mixing bowl and microwave until just melted.
Add the bourbon and vanilla extract to the melted butter and stir until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl combine the light brown sugar and cinnamon and stir with fork until thoroughly combined.
Set butter mixture and brown sugar mixture aside.
Part F: Getting Ready to Bake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray two muffins tins with cooking spray and set aside.
Flour your workspace and roll approximatly half of the the dough with a rolling pin until it’s thin and somewhat rectangular in shape.
Brush the dough with the melted butter bourbon mixture and generously cover with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture. (NOTE: You will most likely not end up using all of the butter or sugar mixtures.)
Sprinkle a handful of pecans on top of the dough.
Drizzle approximately 1/8 cup to 1/4 cup of the Salted Caramel Bourbon coating on top of the dough.
Starting with the end away from you, roll the dough into a line towards you until completely rolled.
Slice the rolls into approximately 8 to 10 slices and place them in the muffin tins.
Use pastry brush to top the buns with the butter bourbon mixture.
Cover and let the rolls rise for an additional 10 to 15 minutes before putting them in the oven.
Repeat steps 1 through 10 until all of the dough is used.
Once the oven is preheated, place the muffin tins on two baking sheets and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Take the buns out of the oven and drizzle with Salted Caramel Bourbon Coating and sprinkle more pecans on top of the buns.
Return the pans to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
Use a knife or fork to take the buns out of the muffin tins and transfer to cooling racks placed atop baking sheets.
Drizzle remaining Salted Caramel Bourbon Coating on all of the sticky buns.
Lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
Now it’s time to finish preparing the Milky White Dipping Sauce before serving.
Part G: Milky White Dipping Sauce and Finishing Touches
Take both the Crème Brûlée and whipped cream out of the refrigerator.
Add the whipped cream to the Crème Brûlée and stir with a metal spoon or rubber spatula until fully combined.
Transfer the Dipping Sauce into small ramekins for individual portions or into a nicer serving bowl with a ladle or scoop before serving.
Serve and eat the buns while warm and gooey with a healthy helping of Milky White Dipping Sauce on the side.
Don’t be scared. Granny is right, just be prepared. And…
