
Cinnamon and raisins, with the occasional additions of pecans, walnuts or cream cheese frosting, are the standards for sticky buns just about anywhere you go. My Husband Cooks (actually, her husband) decided to put a little twist onto the standard with a batch of Pistachio-date sticky buns. The inspiration came from the flavors often found in Middle Eastern pastries and sweets, where the unique and sweet flavor of pistachios is very popular, as are dates. Exotic inspiration or not, these could not be mistaken for anything other than sticky buns, though. The dough is light and tender, made with both butter and buttermilk, and is topped with a buttery brown sugar caramel that serves as the glaze and gives the sticky buns their signature stickiness.
The recipe is not for those in a rush, as it takes several hours (or overnight) to let the dough rise properly. The advantage to this is that you can do approximately half the work for the buns the night before you want to eat them, meaning that you won't have to wait nearly as long in the morning before you can pull one apart, still warm from the oven, and enjoy.











