Recipe: Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

Greetings All,

This is a recipe I modified a bit to suit the tastes of my children.  The good news is that these are really yummy, the bad news is that my children seem to be cinnamon roll purist only wanting cinnamon and icing.  I would like to tell you that these are healthy and calorie free, but they are not; they are waste expanding, cholesterol rising, diabetic coma inducing buns of yummy goodness.  Eat sparingly, but eat!

Your brother in Christ,
Faron

Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
Ingredients:
1 c. milk plus 2 Tbls
2 pkgs of fast rising active dry yeast
2/3 c granulated sugar
24 Tbls softened butter or margarine
3 eggs (at room temperature)
5 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp maple extract (or imitation maple flavoring) divided
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. caramel topping sauce
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1. Scald milk (heat to steaming) and mix in sugar until dissolved.
2. Mix flour, salt and yeast in a bowl set aside.
3. Add eggs and 12 Tbls of butter to the milk and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat with the paddle attachment until blended.
4. Gradually stir in bowl of dry ingredients.  Beat approximately 2 mins.  Scrape sides of bowl, switch from the paddle to a dough hook and blend for an additional 3 minutes until dough ball starts to form.
5.  Lightly grease a bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Set aside in a warm place until the dough has risen to approximately double its original size.  This will take 45 minutes to one hour.
6. Place paper cups in two 12 cup muffin tins.  Spray the inserts with cooking spray, set aside.
7. Melt 6 Tbls of butter and stir in 1 1/2 tsps of maple flavoring.  Set aside.
8. Mix brown sugar and chopped pecans in a bowl. Set aside.
9. When dough has risen, gently punch it down and divide it in half.  Roll each half into 12 by 18 inch rectangles on a lightly floured surface.  Using a brush, spread the maple butter mixture on each rectangle.  Then sprinkle half of the brown sugar/pecan mixture on each rectangle.
10.  Working from the 18 inch side, tightly roll each rectangle into a log and pinch the seams.  Cut each log into twelve 1 1/2 inch pieces.  Place the pieces, cut side up, in the muffin tins.  Cover the muffin tins and allow to rise an additional 30 minutes. 
11. Bake at 325 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes.
12. Melt 3 Tbls butter, mix with caramel topping and 1 1/2 tsps of maple flavoring.  Set aside.
13. Melt 3 Tbls butter, place in mixing bowl with 2 Tbls milk and gently beat in the confectioners' sugar.  Set aside.
14.  Remove muffin trays from the oven, then remove the buns from the trays and place on a clean baking sheet.
15.  Drizzle the caramel mixture of each bun, followed by the icing.  Serve warm or cool. 
16.  These can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days after being cooked.  Or if you don't need 24 buns, before you let them rise the second time freeze them in the tray.  Once frozen, they can be removed from the tray and placed in a zip-top freezer bag.  To cook simply thaw and allow to rise to double the size and then cook as originally directed.