We’re celebrating another birthday here! And by here, I mean in spirit since the birthday boy is part of our extended family and lives hours away from us. Last week was my sister Diane’s birthday and Eric’s niece Amanda’s birthday. Today is Dan’s birthday. Dan is Amanda’s “little” brother. And I’m willing to bet, every time Amanda calls Dan her “little” brother, he pats her on her head, which only comes up to his shoulder. That’s how it goes in our house with Kelly & Andrew & I’m pretty sure it’s the same with Amanda & Dan. They ARE related, after all!

Dan & I have a lot in common for not being blood relatives. We share a love of science, roller coasters, Fireball Whiskey shots & lemony treats. Especially lemony treats. We both have OCD tendencies. Dan also loves corny jokes and sports, especially football. Dan likes to tell the story about his first days at college when a football created lasting friendships for him. Some of the guys on his floor asked him if he had a football and Daniel (smiling to himself) remembered that his dad had brought a football to his dorm room the first day on campus when moving in and told him, “This may come in handy.” Daniel grabbed the football & the group went knocking on other dorm doors to get a football game together. That first football game established friendships between the guys, which continue even though they have all graduated and moved on with their adult lives.

But since it is Spring and not Fall Football season, I’m going with a lemony sticky bun recipe to celebrate Dan!

Lemon Sticky Buns with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze (adapted from thekitchn.com)  Serves 20                   

Ingredients:

3 large lemons, at room temperature, zested, juiced & divided as stated in the 3 sections of the ingredients below

For the dough:

• 1 envelope (1/4 ounce or 2 1/2 teaspoons) active yeast
• 3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for spreading over the dough

For the sticky lemon filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
• zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

For the lemon cream cheese glaze:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
• zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

Make the dough:

In a bread maker: Add all the dough ingredients but the last 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan of the bread maker in the order required by your machine and set it to the dough setting.

By hand: In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a few minutes until it is foamy. With the mixer paddle, stir the softened stick of butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour into the milk and yeast mixture. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and about 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft and sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.

Lightly grease the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled — about one hour.

Make the filling:
In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the lemon zest with the your fingers until the sugar resembles soft sand. Slowly pour in the lemon juice, stirring until you have a thick, clumpy mixture like wet sand. You may not need all of the lemon juice.

Assemble the rolls:
Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large, thick rectangle, about 10×16 inches.

Spread the dough evenly with the 3 tablespoons of very soft unsalted butter, then spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top of the butter, to the edges of the dough. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Stretch and pull the dough taut as you roll, to keep the lemon sugar firm inside. Cut the dough roll into 20 3/4-inch rolls. Pinch the bottom of each roll closed to help keep the lemon sugar inside, and place each one, open and cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or a towel, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge and let them rise for an hour at room temperature before proceeding with the baking.)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until golden.

Make the glaze:
While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. With a mixer or In a small food processor, whip the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and blend until they are well combined. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy, adding additional juice if needed.

Finish the rolls:
When the rolls are done baking, spread them with the cream cheese glaze, and sprinkle the final tablespoon of the lemon zest over the top to garnish. Let the rolls cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve while the rolls are still warm.

These are definitely worth all the work.  Happy Birthday, Dan!  ~Linda

Lemon Sticky Buns with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze (adapted from thekitchn.com)  Serves 20                    

Ingredients:

3 large lemons, at room temperature, zested, juiced & divided as stated in the 3 sections of the ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 envelope (1/4 ounce or 2 1/2 teaspoons) active yeast
• 3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for spreading

For the sticky lemon filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
• zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

For the lemon cream cheese glaze:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
• zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

Make the dough:

In a bread maker: Add all the dough ingredients but the last 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan of the bread maker in the order required by your machine and set it to the dough setting.

By hand: In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a few minutes until it is foamy. With the mixer paddle, stir the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour into this milk and yeast mixture. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and about 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft and sticky dough.

Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable.

Lightly grease the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled — about one hour.

Make the filling:
In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the lemon zest with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles soft sand. Slowly pour in the lemon juice, stirring until you have a thick, clumpy mixture like wet sand. You may not need all of the lemon juice.

Assemble the rolls:
Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large, thick rectangle, about 10×15 inches.

Spread the dough evenly with the 3 tablespoons of very soft unsalted butter, then spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top of the butter, to the edges of the dough. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Stretch and pull the dough taut as you roll, to keep the lemon sugar firm inside. Cut the dough roll into 20 3/4-inch rolls. Pinch the bottom of each roll closed to help keep the lemon sugar inside, and place each one, open and cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or a towel, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour before proceeding with baking.)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until golden.

Make the glaze:
While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. With a mixer or In a small food processor, whip the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and blend until they are well combined. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy, adding additional juice if needed.

Finish the rolls:
When the rolls are done baking, spread them with the cream cheese glaze, and sprinkle the final tablespoon of the lemon zest over the top to garnish. Let the rolls cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve while the rolls are still warm.