Pecan Sticky Buns

By mitzzy

Your holiday morning just got a lot easier with this recipe, which starts with frozen store-bought bread dough to cut down on prep time. The results are just as sweet and sticky.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 36 pecan halves, plus 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 loaf (1/2 2-pound package) frozen white-bread (not pizza) dough, thawed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Step 1

Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and 3 pecan halves into each muffin cup; set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the bread dough into a 14-by-8-inch rectangle. Brush with the remaining melted butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon, chopped pecans, and remaining brown sugar. Roll into a 14-inch-long log. Cut into 12 pieces and place each one cut-side down into a muffin cup.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside for 25 minutes or until risen slightly.
Heat oven to 325° F. Remove the wrap and bake 15 minutes or until golden. Place a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper. Turn the muffin tin onto the rack, wait 5 minutes, then remove the tin. Cool completely. (Can be made ahead to this point. Return the buns to the cleaned muffin tin. Cover with foil and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw before reheating at 250° F for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool as above.)
TO FAKE IT...AND SAVE 55 MINUTES
Heat oven to 325° F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Spoon 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 3 pecan halves in each muffin cup. Open two 11.3-ounce packages brown-and-serve rolls and divide among the muffin cups. Bake 10 minutes or until golden. Place a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper. Turn the muffin tin onto the rack, wait 5 minutes, then remove the tin.