A Satisfyingly Sticky Christmas

As a kid, I absolutely loved Christmas: the presents, the decorations, the music, and most importantly, the magic. I was 12 years old before I stopped believing in Santa Claus. This is probably because my parents loved creating a Christmas atmosphere that was special every year. From picking out our Christmas tree and decorating it to the sounds of the season to baking cookies in aprons dusted with flour, I always believed there was something magical about the season. I was as holly and jolly as they came.

Christmas morning was always a highlight. Before my grandmother passed away in 2004, she spent every Christmas Eve night at my house, sleeping over into the morning to watch all the hubub that came with pounds of wrapping paper and squeals of delight. My brothers and I were always wired for sound, far too awake at 7 a.m. for my bleary-eyed parents, who, unbeknown to me at the time, had spent much of the night wrapping presents, taking well-portioned bites out of the cookies I'd leave for Santa, and setting up our living room into a Christmas masterpiece.

Another Christmas masterpiece? My mom's sticky buns, the best Christmas tradition I can think of. They always magically appeared in the oven that morning, filling our house with smells of cinnamon and sugar. A few years ago, I started helping her make the sticky buns (sometimes I even help her start setting up the presents for my little sister, who, at 10, still whole-heartedly believes in Santa). The buns are made the night before and left in the fridge overnight. It's an easy and simple recipe that packs a lot of Christmas punch.

Even at 21, I still believe in the magic of Christmas. These sticky buns are just a physical manifestation of the joy that's wrapped up not just on that morning, but during the entire holiday season.

MOM'S CHRISTMAS STICKY BUNS

Ingredients

2 loaves frozen white bread dough (Rich's makes a great dough--it's what we use), slightly thawed

1 stick of butter, melted

1 large package vanilla pudding (not instant)

2 tbsp milk

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup pecans (or walnuts) and raisins

Grease a 13 x 9 pan. Sprinkle bottom with nuts and raisins. Pull thawed bread dough into walnut-sized pieces. Fill pan with a single layer of the dough. Heat together remaining ingredients and pour over the dough. Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Let rise in the refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, and then invert the sticky buns onto a sheet of foil. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!