Created by: Meg Raines
Created for: Chelan Fresh
YIELD: 6-8 servings

Our decadent giant sticky bun tastes like a caramel apple, a cinnamon roll and apple pie all rolled in one gooey pastry. What could be better for an easy but show-stopping breakfast for the holidays? To make it even better we stuffed it with sweet KORU® apples that  cook up tender and soft in the caramel sauce. Using prepared crescent roll dough means that you can throw this treat together without waiting for the dough to rise so you can get back to the holiday festivities.

INGREDIENTS

Dough and Filling

  • 2 (8 oz) tubes of crescent roll dough
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 medium KORU® apples

Caramel Syrup

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 6 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup walnut or pecan halves, roughly chopped

METHOD

      1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
      2. To make the caramel syrup, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey and salt in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the sugar has devolved and the mixture is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully add the vanilla extract (it will sputter a bit so be sure to stand back). Stir to combine. Pour syrup into a 9 inch round cake pan, sprinkle the nuts evenly over the syrup and set aside. 
      3. To prepare the dough, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Open both crescent roll doughs and carefully unroll each one into a rectangle, gently pressing together the perforated areas to prevent the dough from breaking apart. Brush both rectangles of dough evenly with the cooled melted butter, and sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon mixture evenly on each dough. Press the sugar into the dough lightly with your fingertips so it adheres. Cut each rectangle of dough lengthwise into 4 long strips. You will end up with 8 strips total.
      4. Peel the apples and cut into thin slices. 
      5. Layer a few apple slices lengthwise onto one dough strip and roll it up like you would a cinnamon roll, taking care not to roll too tightly, as the dough needs room to puff up when baked. Place the roll in the center of the cake pan on top of the nuts and syrup.
      6. Begin wrapping one strip of dough around the center roll, inserting apple slices as you go around. Continue until you have used up all of the dough strips. It is fine if you do not fill up the entire pan, the dough will rise quite a bit while cooking.
      7. Place the pan on a cooking sheet (in case the syrup bubbles out) and bake for 40-60 minutes, until well browned and the center feels firm and cooked through. Cover the pan with tinfoil if the tops begins to get too brown or looks like it is burning.
      8. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. To flip the sticky bun over, place a serving plate or sheet pan over the pan and carefully invert. Be sure to use a large serving plate or pan to catch all of the syrup that will drip out.
      9. Let cool for another 15-20 minutes, slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
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