PECAN STICKY BUN CRAVINGS

Pecan Sticky Bun Cravings

            Rain had been coming down in sheets for hours, which held the promise of grass finally greening, if it ever managed to rise above the mud. Yes, our mud season had arrived, which after our extended winter promised to be just as spectacular in it’s own right. Some subliminal yearning for warmer climes and food must have triggered a sudden craving for pecan sticky buns.

            Usually my husband and I satisfy such a craving with lunch at the Country Cupboard Café in New Harbor and take home some magnificent sticky buns from there for later in the day or next morning’s breakfast. But this winter had severely curtailed such expeditions and for all I knew, they were still on their winter schedule. It was time to improvise without going to the trouble of starting a new batch of yeast sweet roll dough. There was a package of Crescent bake rolls (8 rolls) in the refrigerator, I had an ample supply of pecans thanks to a California friend’s Christmas largesse and the rest would be my kitchen staples.

                                                Impromptu pecan buns

            Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 2 cup pot combine 1/3 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar lightly packed, 3 Tblsp. corn syrup, 2 Tblsp. water.  Heat with stirring  until sugar is dissolved and spoon the mixture in the bottom of 8 place medium muffin tin. (If muffin cups are too large, the syrup is likely to dry and give you pecan praline, which may be tasty, but not in the design for the present recipe.) Place pecans in a single layer to cover syrup mix. Separate the bake rolls (do not unroll) and place on top of the pecans, then and baste the top of each with some melted butter. Bake 8-10 minutes until rolls are browned. Remove from the oven and invert on a large plate or tray. Serve warm or reheat in microwave.

            The results were quick and tasty, but definitely not in league with anyone’s great sticky buns. So, continuing in the experimental mode, I recalled a delightful Christmas visit with our kids in London more than a decade ago, where our daughter-in law’s mother Kathy made delicious almond sticky buns for breakfast. Here is her modified recipe adapted for pecans using ½ recipe of my usual sweet roll dough.

                                    Pecan lemon sticky buns

            Prepare the sweet roll dough by softening 1 pkg. yeast in ¼ cup lukewarm water with 1 tsp. sugar until frothy. Add to ½ cup lukewarm milk with 2 Tblsp. sugar, 2 Tblsp. melted butter, 1 tsp. grated lemon rind, 1 beaten egg, ¼ tsp. ground cardamom. Stir in 2 and ¼ cups flour and when thoroughly mixed, kneed or mix on medium speed with a dough hook for 5 minutes. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

            In the meantime in a small saucepan combine: ½ cup sugar, 1/3 cup dark corn syrup, 4 Tblsp. butter, 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon zest, 2 Tblsp. lemon juice. Cook and stir just until sugar is dissolved and mixture simmers. Pour in the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2 baking pan. Sprinkle 1 and ½ cups very coarsely chopped pecans on top of the sugar mixture in the pan.

            Turn the raised dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll to a 16x8 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 Tblsp. melted butter and sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar mixed with ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg. Beginning with the long side, roll up the dough tightly jelly-roll fashion, sealing the edges. Cut the roll into 16 one-inch slices and place, cut side down on top of sugar mixture in the pan.

            Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, loosen the sides and turn out on a large tray or pan. Serve warm and enjoy.

            This version of pecan sticky buns requires no apologies.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

RETHINKING SPRING

Rethinking Spring

            The word April has a musical ring compared to March that seemed to order us just to put one foot in front of the other until we arrived to a more hospitable clime. As the snow finally started to melt along roadways, robins were seen standing as sentinels along the newly uncovered edges.  With tilted heads they kept looking for some movement of earth that signaled the thaw underground. But then it snowed on Easter Sunday!

            Now at mid-April, after another snowstorm, I found myself looking with new appreciation to the leftover ham with its flavorful bone for bean soup. This traditionally hearty cold weather soup suddenly seemed most appropriate if not to the season, but certainly to the chill. The continued cold barely allowed a few snowdrops, crocuses and winter aconite to peek out from the edge of the snow bank, only a foot from the foundation of our house.

                                                White bean and bone soup

            Wash and pick over 1 lb white Northern beans (or ½ lb. Northern beans plus ½ lb. white dried lima beans) and soak in 2 quarts cold water overnight. [Or you can bring the rinsed beans to boil for a minute without soaking, turn off the heat and allow to sit while you start to prepare the rest of the soup.]

Heat a heavy large pot over medium heat and lightly brown the trimmed ham bone and any large pieces of baked ham trimmings that won’t be used for other dishes. When the meat is browned, stir in 1 large chopped onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 chopped stalks of celery with leaves, 2 carrots cut lengthwise and sliced, a small sprig of tarragon, 1 large bayleaf and a small cheesecloth bag with 7 cloves, 10 peppercorns and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. Add 3-4 quarts of water, enough to cover the bone, bring to boil and then reduce the heat to cook at a gentle boil. After 30 minutes, drain the beans, add to the soup and continue to cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the beans are tender. Remove the ham bone, any ham trimmings, bayleaf and the cheesecloth bag. For creamier soup mash some of the beans. Trim off any lean meat and return as small pieces to the soup. Stir in 2 Tblsp. tomato paste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread and salad. Soup improves in flavor with reheating the following day.

The bonus leftovers of a flavorful, clove studded Easter ham that has baked with a glaze of mustard, brown sugar, currant jam and lemon juice are not to be underestimated. It makes a wonderful filling for omelette, with mushrooms, red pepper and scallion and getting back to thoughts of spring, ham and asparagus make a perfect luncheon dish. Asparagus with Hollandaise is a classic, but mushrooms in cream sauce give it an unexpected dimension.

                                    Asparagus and shitake with cream

Wipe ½ -3/4  lb of shitake mushrooms with a damp paper towel, remove the stems and slice the caps thinly. Roughly chop the stems and cook for 5 minutes in 1 cup water. When cool, remove solids by draining through a paper towel, reserve the liquid and reduce by boiling to ¼ cup. Melt 2 Tblsp. unsalted butter in a pan and quickly sauté 2 chopped shallots until translucent, Stir in the sliced shitake and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes, add ½ cup white wine and ½ cup dry vermouth. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup, stir in the reduced mushroom liquid and ½ cup heavy cream. Cook on low heat until the liquid coats the back of the spoon. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Trim the tough part of 1 lb of asparagus, rinse and cook in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from water and drain briefly before aligning in a shallow serving dish with sides. Cover the stalks crosswise in the center with the mushroom sauce, sprinkle with chopped fresh tarragon and serve with slices of warm or cold ham.

Rethinking menus may be practical, but one should not give up hope for spring.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)