Honey Buns

Honey is the star ingredient here today and it takes these sticky rolls to a whole new level.  I have always loved honey and any food that highlights its fantastic flavor always has a place in my recipe box.  I have a recipe for honey cheesecake bars somewhere.  Creamy, delicate, and the honey gives is just the right amount of sweetness.  I will dig that out and share it sometime soon.

Anyway, when I was a kid, my Mother used to crack an aspirin half, put it on a spoonful of honey, and give it to me when I had a fever.  And let me tell ya!  When you have a mouthful of honey, you don’t even notice the bitterness as you chew up an aspirin.  Speaking of my parents, among their many talents is Beekeeping, so I always get a few quarts of the golden syrup when they visit from MN in the fall.  This is very fortunate for us because we use a lot of honey in our house; in tea, in our homemade bread, when we make granola, on yogurt, and my husband even likes to drizzle honey over his Cheerios in the morning.  Don’t ask my why, but its actually really good.  A quart of honey, like the one below that was produced in my parent’s backyard, does not last long.
These Honey Buns are the best way to enjoy the fantastic flavor of honey.  While I love a warm, carmel roll as much as the next person, these are a nice change of pace.  The are just the right size, not too heavy, and not as rich as a traditional sticky bun.  It took me three days and four batches, but I finally got it right.  My daughter wants me to be sure to tell you that they are really good.  She was adamant that I inform you of this.  But beware.  Eating these will make you want to start your own bee colony.  Just be sure to share a quart or two of honey with your friends!!Honey Buns
If you are in a time crunch, don’t have a bread machine, or just plain don’t feel like fussing with it, use a 1 lb loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed, in place of the dough in this recipe.  It won’t be as good, but it will be faster, easier, and you will get to eat sooner!

Dough:
3 c bread flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 c butter, softened and cut into chunks (it mixes in easier that way)
3/4 c milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp yeast

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Add all dough ingredients to your bread machine according to manufacturers directions.  Mix on ‘dough cycle’ and proceed with the recipe.  Alternatively, mix all ingredients in your kitchen aid with a dough hook until a smooth ball forms.  Knead dough by hand until dough springs back and is elastic, about 10 minutes.  Let rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in size.  Proceed with recipe.

Honey Glaze:
1/2 c honey
2 T butter softened
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and divide evenly among the 12 muffin cups, pouring about a tablespoon in each one.  Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and place on top of the honey in each cup.  Its OK if the dough is in several pieces in each cup.  Actually, it seems to be better that way, but it doesn’t really matter.  Make sure it is about even and let them rise in a warm place until puffed, about 30 minutes.  Bake for 12 -15 minutes or until the rolls are evenly golden brown.  Remove from the oven and immediately invert the pan onto a sheet of wax paper, parchment paper, or foil, letting the honey glaze drip down the rolls.  Serve immediately.