February 21 is National Sticky Bun Day: Celebrate with these recipes

Every year, in the middle of February, bakers and eaters alike celebrate a very special holiday, filled with warmth and sweetness.

No, we’re not talking about Valentine’s Day. This day is none other than National Sticky Bun Day, falling every year on February 21. This year, online pastry students can apply the techniques they learned by whipping up a batch of sticky buns.

Here are some splendidly sticky recipes to celebrate this holiday with:

Ultimate sticky buns

This ultimate sticky bun recipe from Bon Appetit has everything you could ask for; they’re gooey, sugary, buttery, covered with pecans and have a hint of orange zest. See for yourself:

Whisk some sugar and yeast into warm milk, then let the yeast activate. When it’s frothy, add eggs and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add the milk mixture, then add in butter. Knead the dough until it’s soft and the butter is fully mixed in.

Brush a bowl with butter, then flip your dough into it. Brush the top of the dough with butter, then cover and let rise until doubled in size. Chill the dough for two hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Toast pecans in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes, or until fragrant. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add brown sugar, honey, cream, salt and orange zest. Bring the mixture to a boil, then let simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the combination is glossy and golden brown. Pour about 1 cup of the topping into a baking pan, add a half-cup of the toasted pecans over the top; let cool.

Next, make the filling. Beat together butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until fluffy.

After that, you can remove the dough from the fridge and begin to roll it out on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be about a quarter-inch thick and 12 inches by 16 inches. Spread the spiced butter mixture over the entire sheet of dough, save for a one-inch margin across the top. Sprinkle the remaining toasted pecans over the butter.

Now, begin rolling your sticky buns. Start at the bottom, keeping the roll tight and bringing in the edges if they begin to splay outward. When you get to the unbuttered margin, pinch the seam together and place the roll, seam-side down, on your floured surface. Cut the log into nine even pieces.

Transfer the buns to the baking pan you prepared with the topping and pecans. Place the buns cut-side up and pat them down slightly. Space them evenly and be sure no sides are touching. Cover and let rise until double in size. Brush the tops with an egg wash, then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 50 minutes. If the buns brown too quickly, cover with a foil tent. Once removed from the oven, spoon the remainder of the brown sugar topping mixture over the buns, and let cool.

Experiment with other sticky bun flavors

While this ultimate sticky bun recipe will provide the ooey-gooey goodness you look for in a sticky bun, it’s also good to branch out and try new flavors. Food52 describes a cardamom lemon sticky bun, which incorporates ground cardamom into the dough, lemon zest into the filling and lemon and bourbon in the glaze.

In a seasonal yet unique twist, Hither & Thither describes another cardamom sticky bun recipe, this one with a beet glaze. Again, incorporate cardamom into the dough, and also combine the spice with ground ginger and nutmeg in the filling. For the beet glaze, use a peeled and quarter beet, lemon juice, water and powdered sugar. Once cooked through, use an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency.