sticky buns = an example of why i work out.

ha. now that i have your attention, i'm referring to these sticky buns --->
not something that could be associated with a dirty body part.  gross.

sticky buns are part of a semi-annual tradition in our household.  they always accompany general conference, aka: the day we get to watch church on tv in our pj's & well, who am i kidding... they accompany any other gathering or family affair that i can justify making them for, too.  nonetheless, whenever they get made, i always remember how much i need to get to the gym.

but i digress.  today i am sharing the tradition of sticky buns with the blogosphere.  and it should be noted at this point, that i've totally stolen this recipe & tradition from my sister heidi.  thanks heidi.  because i really needed one more thing to help me keep this baby weight around.  i mean, it was just coming off way too quickly & easily & i needed these might-be-better-than-a-cinnamon-roll-sticky-buns to make it a challenge for me.  thanks.

ok then, let's start.

ingredients:  18 frozen rhodes rolls, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 stick of butter {oops, i guess butter didn't make the ingredients photoshoot}, a package of cook & serve {not instant!} butterscotch jell-o, & 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

take note that these are typically made the night before they're enjoyed so that the dough can rise overnight.  but we'll get to that part.  

by now you know it's gonna be good.  we're combining dough, butter, & sugar.  what's not to like?

stick the 18 frozen dough balls in a bundt pan & sprinkle the butterscotch mix over the top of 'em.  i really don't know what role the butterscotch stuff plays in this whole thing, but it must do something magical, because we never add anything to it & the finished result is delicious.  moving on.

melt the butter, brown sugar, & cinnamon in a medium saucepan.  let it come to a boil, then take it off the heat.  the mixture should be ooey, gooey, & syrupy. 

pour the butter/sugar syrup over the top of the rolls in the bundt pan.  keep in mind there is now a saucepan with little remnants of the cinnamon-sugar butter syrup in your midst.  if you're the lick-the-side-of-the-bowl type, please allow the saucepan to cool down a bit before doing so.  you're going to want to be able to taste these later, & seared taste buds tend to inhibit that.

place plastic wrap over the bundt pan, & let the rolls rise {read: do their magic} overnight.  let them do their thing for at least eight hours.  try to get some sleep at this point... i know it's hard when you know these are sitting in your kitchen calling your name, but trust me, it's worth it.

in the morning, your rolls should look something like this.  big, fluffy, doughy, & beautiful.  where did the butterscotch mix go?  i have no idea.  i told you it was magic.

oh, & at this point, the crusty cinnamon/sugar/butter mixture is really really yummy to pick at & eat.  how couldn't it be?  it's pure sugar & butter.  don't dwell on that for too long, or else i think you might actually gain weight just thinking about it.

stick the rolls {minus the plastic wrap, duh} in a preheated oven at 350 degrees.  you might want to place a cookie sheet underneath to catch the juices.  

pull the rolls out after about 15-20 minutes. watch them close because i think they are better when they're more doughy, but really, even when they're a little crusty they aren't gonna be bad.

ok, this is a semi-tricky part.  you have to flip the bundt pan over onto a plate.  keep in mind we're dealing with all sorts of hot, runny juices & a pan that just came out of an oven.  a dangerous combo.  {maybe someday you can ask me about the time the juice splatter spilled out & drenched a pair of brand new uggs & maybe i cried.  maybe.}  just be careful.

and lastly, you eat these bad boys.  they're super easy, super quick {when planned ahead}, & super delicious.  every single bite tastes like the inside of a cinnamon roll.  every. single. bite.

i now realize i really should have taken a picture of us eating the finished result, but that would have wasted precious moments when the sticky buns were getting snatched up & i may have missed my opportunity for seconds.  and operating one's camera with sugary goop on one's fingers is not recommended, so forgive me if they were eaten up before i could take a "look-at-everyone-enjoying-these-tasty-treats" picture. 

well that's it!  that pretty much sums up what we were up to today.  lazing around, eating sticky buns, & thinking about how many extra calories i have to work off this week.  ah well.  that's what mondays are for.



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