Easy Sticky Buns

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans (chopped in very large pieces)
• frozen puff pastry (1 package, 2 sheets, thawed)

FILLING

• 2 tablespoons unsalted melted butter (cooled)
• 1 cup light brown sugar (lightly packed)
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tip on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

2. 2

   In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in the bottom of each muffin tin. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and brown sugar mixture.

3. 3

   Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup raisins. Starting at the end nearest you, roll up the pastry snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

4. 4

   Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful, they're hot. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

5. 5

   To freeze: After rolling up and cutting into equal portions, place each piece, spiral side up, on a sheet pan lined with parchment or waxed paper. Freeze til firm and remove and place in a freezer bag. To bake, allow to thaw in the refrigerator (you still want the puff pastry to be very cold), and bake as normal, being sure to add the butter/sugar/pecan mixture to the bottom of the muffin cups before placing the roll on top.