Snow days and sticky buns...

You guessed it, another snow day.

Nothing starts off a snow day like warm sticky buns (and a good cup of coffee)...well at least in my opinion. Last night I (was incredibly bored) and decided that because we wouldn't be rushing off anywhere in the AM due to the schools cancellation, I would do a nice breakfast. I have had this recipe in my "to make" file for awhile and decided it was time. I always start cinnamon rolls the night before, so that in the AM there is minimal wait time. Behold...the buns - ready to go into the fridge for the night. (I appologize for the horrible lighting in my kitchen, it was dark both at night and in the AM while we were eating so I didn't have any good natural light)

I have to say, I love slow mornings. Sure the boys get a little nutty come about 9 am, and yes, I get a little stir-crazy as well being stuck in my house. But there is just something about those nice lazy mornings that I treasure. It's not often that we are not rushing to get somewhere or do something, so it's nice when for whatever reason, life gets put on "hold" and we just slow down and enjoy our time together - in our PJ's of course. :) And to me, nothing says "lazy morning" like fresh baked cinnamon rolls...it just doesn't get any better.

I wish I could put a smell on the computer for you because the way my kitchen smelled while these were baking was nothing short of mouth-watering wonderfulness. The banana, and the caramel and the cinnamon...mmmmm.

Here is the recipe if you're ever looking for a good sticky bun. The only change I made was to leave out the almonds due to the fact that my boys (all three of them) are not fans of nuts in their baked goods. But even without, these were amazing. I ate a 1/2 of one and then we went to the gym so I could run it off! Needless to say the rest of the batch went straight to work with the hubby (along with the brownies) so that I didn't polish them off before noon! He called around nine and said they were gone with-in an hour of him being at work.

Banana Sticky Buns
(Adapted from: the domestic goddess )

Dough:
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F) + 1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 Tbsp unsalted butter -room temp.
2 large eggs
1/4 c. buttermilk powder
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Filling:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Sticky Bottom:
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter + more to butter the pan
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup almonds (optional)

Cream cheese Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mash the bananas with the butter to form a very soft, ever-so-slightly liquid paste. Combine the yeast with the warm water and sugar, let sit until foamy, 5 minutes. Add the eggs, buttermilk powder, brown sugar, salt and flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a rough mass forms.

2. Scrape it all together with a bench scraper and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Knead until it is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary, about 5 minutes. Or use your mixer with the dough hook for about 5 min on low speed. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

3. Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot (on top of the fridge works really well) until it doubles in size – about 1 ½ hours.

4. Make the filling: in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

5. Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a 14- by 9-inch rectangle. Brush the surface of the dough with the melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon-sugar combination and press into the dough lightly. Beginning at the long side, roll jellyroll style. Pinch to seal seam and set aside, covered in a warm spot while you make the sticky bottom.

6. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and honey to cook, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cream and keep stirring until smooth and incorporated. Pour the mixture into the pan and Sprinkle with almonds. Cut the buns into 12 pieces, about 1 ½ inches wide and arrange, cut side up in the pan with the sugar-butter-almond mixture. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 to 45 minutes (or over night in the fridge) or until doubled in volume.

7. Bake in a preheated, 350 F oven for 25 – 35 minutes, or until caramel is bubbling and tops are slightly browned. Meanwhile, make glaze: in a small bowl, stir together the confectioner’s sugar, cream and vanilla until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly. When the rolls come out of the oven, allow them to cool slightly and then drizzle with the glaze while they are still warm. Pull apart and serve warm.

I think the rest of our day will be a lot like our morning - pretty uneventful. I see lots of board games and book reading ahead and I'll probably tackle a few loads of laundry as well. I'm running out of things to clean with all the time I've had at home I have to say the house is looking pretty good! I hope you all enjoy your Thursday and are keeping warm wherever you are!