Brown Sugar Pecan Sticky Buns and Streusal Topped Chocolate Cranberry Bread

The sticky buns combine my dad's two favorite ingredients... sticky caramel and pecans! We will definitely be making these for our breakfast on Christmas morning... I was not as fond of the Cranberry Bread because it did not rise as I had hoped... But one of my friends here in town sampled it when it was fresh and offered positive praise so perhaps I will have to try again.

The sweets were created using one spiced dough recipe which I then divided in half (also dividing the two bread recipes in half) in order to make both breads on the same morning. If you like sticky rolls, you will LOVE these and they are actually a lot easier to make than the length of the recipe would indicate.


Spiced Sweet Dough
Use this recipe to make either Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns or Streusel-Topped Chocolate-Cranberry Bread. Or double it and make both.
makes enough dough for 30 sticky buns or 2 streusel-topped chocolate-cranberry breads.

Recipe by Dorie Greenspan
December 2009
Ingredients

* 1 cup warm whole milk (105°F to 115°F) {I used 2%}
* 2 envelopes active dry yeast
* 1/4 teaspoon plus 2/3 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
* 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 large egg
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Preparation
*Stir milk, yeast, and 1/4 teaspoon sugar in small bowl. Let stand until mixture bubbles, about 6 minutes. Stir again.
*Mix remaining 2/3 cup sugar and orange peel in medium bowl.
*Add flour, cinnamon, salt, and ginger to bowl of heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; mix on low speed. Add yeast mixture; mix on medium-low speed until dry shaggy mass forms, scraping down bowl occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk; beat on medium speed until well blended. Add sugar mixture; beat until moist soft dough that resembles thick batter forms, about 3 minutes.
*Add butter by 1 1/2 tablespoonfuls; beat on medium-low speed until almost incorporated before adding more, about 2 minutes (dough will be sticky). Beat dough on medium-high 2 minutes longer. Let dough rest in bowl 10 minutes (dough will become less sticky).
*Scrape dough out onto work surface; gather together. Place in large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Follow directions for Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns or Cranberry Bread.

Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns


Ingredients
topping

* 1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
* 3/4 cup honey
* 3 cups pecan halves

filling

* 1/2 cup sugar
* 6 tablespoons golden brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
* Spiced Sweet Dough (click for recipe)
* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, warm room temperature

Preparation
topping

*Butter two 13x9x2-inch glass baking dishes. Whisk sugar, butter, and honey in small saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth and bubbling around sides. Divide hot syrup between prepared baking dishes, allowing topping to cover bottom of each dish. Place pecan halves, rounded side down, in syrup, dividing equally. Cool.

filling

*Whisk both sugars and cinnamon in small bowl.
*Turn cold Spiced Sweet Dough out onto floured surface; sprinkle with flour. Divide dough in half. Roll out dough to two 15x12-inch rectangles. Using fingers, spread 2 tablespoons butter evenly over each rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over each. Starting at 1 long side of each dough rectangle, tightly roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife, cut each roll crosswise into fifteen 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange 15 dough slices, cut side down, atop cooled syrup and pecan halves in each baking dish, spacing evenly apart. Cover with waxed paper; let rise in warm draft-free area until buns are puffy and doubled, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
*Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment; place dishes with sticky buns on baking sheets. Bake buns until deep golden brown and filling is barely bubbling around edges, about 25 minutes. Let buns stand 2 minutes. Cut around sides of buns to loosen. Place large rimmed platter atop each baking dish. Using oven mitts, firmly hold baking dish and platter together and invert buns onto platter. Cool at least 45 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Streusel-Topped Chocolate-Cranberry Bread

Ingredients
bread

* 2 3 1/2-ounce bars bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 1 1/3 cups dried sweetened cranberries (about 5 ounces)
* 4 tablespoons sugar
* Spiced Sweet Dough (click for recipe)

streusel

* 1/4 cup all purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons finely chopped nuts (such as pecans, walnuts, or blanched almonds)
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* Pinch of salt
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Preparation
bread

*Mix chocolate, cranberries, and sugar in medium bowl. Place Spiced Sweet Dough in large bowl. Sprinkle chocolate mixture over dough and knead just until incorporated. Transfer dough to large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours. Punch dough down; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
*Butter two 9x5x2 3/4-inch metal loaf pans. Turn cold dough out onto work surface. Divide dough in half. Using hands, form dough into 2 compact logs, each about 9 inches long. Place dough logs in prepared loaf pans. Cover pans with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 3 to 3 1/4 hours (dough will not fill pans completely).

streusel

*Mix flour, nuts, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture forms some small and some coarse crumbs. Cover and chill while bread is rising.
*Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Brush tops of risen bread loaves with egg glaze. Sprinkle streusel evenly over top of each loaf, dividing equally and pressing gently to adhere. Bake breads until top crust is deep brown and tester inserted into center of each loaf comes out clean, tenting with foil if top is browning too quickly, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let loaves rest in pans 5 minutes. Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen breads. Using spatula as aid, ease breads out of pans. Place breads, streusel side up, on rack and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Wrap in foil, enclose in resealable plastic bag, and freeze. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature.