Happy Easter to All Who Celebrate
"
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."
(Psalm 30:5)
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It is hard to separate memory from the holidays, and fortunately for most of us, those memories are sweet. My earliest recollections of Easter include bunnies and baskets, but wedged in with them are fleeting images of shiny Mary Janes and bonnets with flower bands and flowing grosgrain ribbons. I can still conjur up the fragrance of the carnations my father proudly pinned to our new coats just before we began the walk to church on Easter morning. The day was filled with food that included my mother's yearly effort to make a lamb cake for our table. She never mastered the technique, but those malformed and Sisyphean attempts make the memory sweeter still. By the time my children came along, few paid attention to Easter outfits, but there were other traditions that were upheld. Now, before I say another word, I must tell you that my children suffer from no mental or psychological defects that would explain their curious propensity to spend hours hunting Easter eggs. The Silver Fox and I would, of course, oversee the first hunt of the day, but my children happily entertained themselves hiding and hunting those same eggs for the remainder of the afternoon. I understand my grandchildren have also been afflicted with this curious behavior. Back then, though it would make me shake my head in wonder, I never interfered because it gave me time to cook. I know all of you have foods that are part of your holiday traditions. These buns are part of mine. I must tell you that they are dangerously delicious and seriously addictive, and there is not one thing in them that is good for you. They are evidence of my thrice yearly descent to the nutritional dark side, but once you taste them, you will see why I'm willing to put it all on the line and risk my reputation for clean and healthy living. While it's important to follow the directions exactly as they're written, the buns are not difficult to prepare and they can be made by anyone who has a stand mixer with a dough hook. The buns are quite simply wonderful and I hope you will give them a try. Here's the recipe.
Sticky Buns...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
Ingredients:
Dough
1-1/2 cups warm milk (105°–115°F)
2 (1/4-ounce) packages (or 5 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
5-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
Filling
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup dried currants
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
Syrup
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
1) To make dough: Stir together 1/2 cup warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) Put flour, remaining sugar, and salt in mixer bowl and mix with dough hook at low speed until combined.
Whisk together remaining 1 cup milk and eggs in a small bowl, then add to dry ingredients, along with yeast mixture, and mix at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 2 minutes. Add butter and continue beating until dough is smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes (dough will be very sticky).
Rinse a large bowl with hot water, then put dough in wet bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/4 hours.
2) To prepare filling: Stir together all ingredients except butter in a small bowl.
3) To make syrup: Butter 12 large (1-cup) muffin cups or 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Combine butter, sugars, corn syrup, and heavy cream in a 1-quart saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring until butter is melted. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. If using muffin pans, spoon 2 tablespoons warm syrup into each muffin cup. If using cake pans, spoon half of warm syrup into each poan
4) To fill and form buns: Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and dust with flour. Roll out into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle with a floured rolling pin. Turn dough if necessary so long side is nearest you. Brush off excess flour, then spread evenly with softened butter. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Beginning with long side near you, roll up dough to form a 16-inch-long log and press seam to seal.
Cut log crosswise into 12 rounds. Arrange buns cut sides up in muffin cups or cake pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5) To bake buns: Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Bake buns until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert buns onto rack and cool slightly. Serve warm. Yield 12 servings.
