You know that crazy girl in home-ec class that was constantly struggling with a project? That girl that was trying really hard to make her dish look like everyone else’s but also make it edible? That’s me.
For this week’s Barefoot recipe, Melissa of Made By Melissa chose Easy Sticky Buns from the new Barefoot Cookbook. I won’t lie. When I got this book on Christmas from my wonderful mother-in-law it was one of the recipes I flagged. I actually planned on making them… but Cat style.
I couldn’t see any reason to not mess with them, making them more appealing to me and The Husband. For the life of me though, I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with them. I decided to go to Target and stare at the nuts (not the crazy people… but the edible things called nuts) to gain inspiration.
I settled on a package of macadamia nuts realizing what my sticky-bun destiny would be: Aloha Sticky Buns!
I swear… I made the sticky buns exactly like Ina instructed… just changed everything vital to making them sticky buns (clever I tell ya!). I cut the butter in half because the thought of ingesting that much butter literally made my stomach hurt. I toasted 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts and about 1 c coconut until my kitchen smelled like suntan lotion. I used the toasted macadamias and coconut in the bottom of the muffin tins instead of pecans.
Everything else stayed the same (eh hem) except, I used dried cherries instead of raisins.
They turned out great! I can’t tell you how delicious a caramel covered macadamia nut is… I had a couple runaways that demanded to be tried. The coconut and macadamias stayed crisp and the dried cherries brought a bit of tartness to the actual bun itself that was unexpected but greatly appreciated.
Check out how all the other Barefooters handled their buns (sorry, couldn’t resist)! If you’re not a Barefooter already… shame on you… join while you’re over there getting the recipe. You’ll love it!
Oh, yum! I think I would have absolutely loved your Aloha Sticky Buns! Coconut and macadamia are both favorites of mine
Great job being creative with this BB recipe! I wish I had thought more out of the box with these.
Wow! They look fabulous.
I think your substitutions sound great and look great. It was a LOT of butter, but I loved these. Yum.
This recipe really did stand up to some playing around – great variations on the theme, very creative!
Nicely done! I too want to experiment with other flavors. The next night I made the same roll with Pepper Jack Cheese and Cilantro Spread, for something savory. I also want to try a Cherry Almond Version. Great job!
I LOVE the changes you made! Coconut, macadamia nuts and cherries…. what a fantastic combination!
I love the changes you made. These sound amazing!
Oh yummy…I like the sound of your changes! I’m going to have to try your version maybe adding dried pineapple instead of the raisins to keep with the theme. Coconut anything yummy.
oooh, like the sound of your aloha version and your target/nuts comment made me laugh. i was the crazy girl in my home-ec class too, when we had sewing I sewed both legs of a pair of pants together.
Great idea – I love macadamia and coconut together (or apart for that matter!)
I love the pic of your cookbooks with “tags”. Thanks for the tip on changing the temperature. I’ll definitely go that route next time! I also think I’ll try your adaptations!
I’m definitely marking your blog down…I need to visit more often! It’s good to find another “that girl”!
amy
I just returned from spending some time at Target with the nuts (the non-edible ones)!
It was the sewing that traumatized me in home-ec, too. We were supposed to make an apron – I haven’t tried to sew since.
So fun, the Aloha Sticky Bun!
Mmmm…suntan lotion.
These sound great! You are so creative.
I only wish the thought of all that butter hurt my stomach. It just makes me drool!
Love how you made them Aloha! Great job–they look and sound incredible!
i’m gonna try your version of Ina’s sticky buns…. macadamia and cherries are enough to make me swoon.
Those look fabulous, I love the flavor changes! Great job Cat (even with the butter.. that’s always a good thing!)