Yes, it’s still hot…but not too hot for these delicious and incredibly easy sticky buns!  While watching the Barefoot Contessa, I saw that she created sticky buns with puff pastry.  She explained that they were best sellers at her gourmet shop.  Hers were done with brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, and raisins.  She creamed butter and brown sugar together for the “sticky” and spooned the mixture and nuts into muffin tins before adding the rolls that she created with puff pastry.  Genius!!!

Anyway, at my husbands insistence, I decided to create my own over the top version with cream cheese, peach preserves, and nuts.  The result was incredible!  As much as I love yeasty sweet rolls, I could live well with these puff pastry beauties.  They don’t require a 4th of the work of yeast dough!  About 15 minutes of prep, 25 minutes baking time, and you’re ready.  Completely worth turning on your oven!

So, make ’em like Barefoot Contessa, like mine, or your own flavor combination…just make ’em!

Spread each puff pastry sheet with cream cheese mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Spoon peach preserves atop…don’t worry, it’ll spread out during the rolling and baking process.

The butter/sugar/nut mixture in the muffin tin will create the “sticky” for your buns.

Place buns atop the sticky mixture and bake.

Peachy Cream Cheese Sticky Buns
Inspired by Barefoot Contessa’s Easy Sticky Buns
Makes 12

1 box (2 sheets)frozen puff pastry, thawed but kept refrigerated until ready to use
8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup peach preserves, divided
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon water, for dampening pastry edge

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl, combine butter and brown sugar, beating until smooth.  Divide mixture among a 12 muffin pan, along with chopped pecans and set aside until ready to bake.  Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Stir in vanilla extract.

Place puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured flat surface.  Divide cream cheese mixture and spread atop puff pastry, leaving 1/2 inch border on one edge.  Dampen border lightly with water.   Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon atop cream cheese mixture on each sheet.  Divide peach preserves and spoon evenly as possible atop each.  Roll dough toward dampened edge, allowing it to create a sealed edge.

Cut rolled dough in half and cut each half into thirds.  Each puff pastry sheet will have created six buns, for a total of 12 buns.  Transfer buns to muffin tin, placing cut sides down.  Place muffin tin on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until the sticky buns are a rich golden brown.

Immediately and carefully invert onto a parchment lined surface.  Spoon any sticky sauce and nuts back onto the buns.  Arrange on a platter and serve.