Mom's Favorite Sticky Buns

I know I know.  Another Hallmark Holiday is in our midst.  However, I do think it is important to take the time to appreciate dear old mom's.  I mean shoot, if it weren't for her, none of us would be here, right?

So today I'm making my mother her (and conveniently enough, my) favorite "Easy Sticky Buns".

Sticky Doughy Goodness!

Recipe compliments of Ina Garten (another one of my mom's favorite ladies).

Makes 12
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
FOR THE FILLING
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. (I was able to make this stretch with only one puff pastry sheet - never resist the urge to improvise with what you have and make it your own!) Brush the whole sheet with half the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. (We used extra pecans in the filling too for some extra crunch!) Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. (We always use the ends, cuz why not... they may not look as great, but they still taste delish!) Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon), and cool completely.

Before they went into the oven...

I would post a picture of the finished product... but we were too busy eating them.  So instead, I'm leaving you with an overly cheesey and ridiculous video.  It's nothing new, but for some reason whenever I hear the words, "Mother's Day", this song gets stuck in my head.  Damn you Lonely Island and your catchy genius.  Happy Mom's day to all the mother's out there!

We love mothers... err, yea.