Rich Rum Sticky Buns Recipe from The New Basics Cookbook

One day before serving, prepare the dough: Pour the milk into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast and brown sugar and let stand 5 minutes.

Beat in 2 cups of the flour, all the softened butter, the eggs, orange zest, cinnamon, and the salt until blended. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a buttered large bowl and turn to coat it with butter. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight.

The following day, prepare the filling: Place the brown sugar, the granulated sugar, the cinnamon, and chopped pecans in a food processor and process until combined but still coarse and crumbly. Add the raisins and process very briefly to distribute the raisins evenly through the mixture. Set the filling aside.

Prepare the topping: Mix the brown sugar, honey, and melted butter in a small bowl. Stir in the rum and pecan halves. Set the topping aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and punch it down. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 1/3 inch thick. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and press it into the dough with a rolling pin. Starting at one long edge, roll up the dough as tightly as possible.

Lightly butter the sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Spread the topping evenly on the bottom.

Cut the dough crosswise into 3/4-inch slices and arrange the slices in rows of three over the topping, leaving room for the buns to rise. You should be able to fit 12 to 14 slices in the pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the buns 25 to 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. Invert the buns onto a large platter and serve immediately.