Nutty Cranberry Sticky Buns

As my dietitian daughter would say, these aren't an everyday food. But they were a perfect contribution to a Bible study brunch last week. When I put the plate down, one of my friends said, "Oh! Are those cranberry and orange?" And I thought, "Wow! That would have been good!" Alas, the first version did not have orange, though it had oodles of cranberries and pecans.

When the recipe made a repeat appearance at Jill's and Eric's last weekend, I grated orange zest over the filling before rolling into a log. It was a tasty addition.

So, if you're looking to make your Saturday or Sunday a little bit special or if you have family members in for one of the many high school graduations in the area this weekend, here's a quick way to impress your guests. They don't have to know how simple it was!

Nutty Cranberry Sticky Buns

variation on a recipe

 from Taste of Home magazine

1 tube (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar, divided
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. grated orange zest
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Unroll crescent dough into one long rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Combine cranberries and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Sprinkle over crescent dough. Sprinkle grated zest evenly over top (I actually didn't measure: I just zested orange peel on top of the cranberry mixture until it looked evenly distributed.)

Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Pinch seam to seal. Cut into 9 slices.

In a small bowl, combine butter, syrup, honey and remaining brown sugar. Spread onto the bottom of a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with pecans. Place rolls over pecans.

Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm. Yield: 9 buns.

Nutritional Facts: 1 bun equals 237 calories, 14 g fat (3 g saturated), 7 mg cholesterol, 219 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Notes:
If you live in a place that has the new dough without perforations, go for it. No matter how much you try to get the perforations to stick together, they pull apart when cut. But it's OK. Just stick it back together. It tastes just fine! And, with the sticky topping, it covers up a multitude of "issues."

The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. I'm not a maple syrup fan, but if you are, by all means, use it! The recipe also didn't call for the orange zest. I added that the second time I made these rolls, and I did like the bright orange taste.