Walnut Sticky Buns with Cream Cheese Icing

Make the Dough

1. Measure the milk and butter in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until the butter has melted.
2. Pour the warm milk/butter mixture into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
3. Add 1 cup of the flour, as well as the applesauce, vanilla, sugar, egg, yeast and salt. Beat on low for around 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of bowl.
4. Add the rest of the flour to the dough. Mix on low until the dough has come together and feels tacky. If dough is extremely sticky, add flour by the tablespoon until the dough comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl.
5. When it is of the right consistency, turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky. (This should take around 8-10 minutes.) Form into ball.
6. Spray a large glass bowl with nonstick spray, and transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then a kitchen towel, and move to a warm place in the house.
7. Let the dough rise until doubled in volume. (This took my dough about 2 hours.)

Make the filling

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, walnuts, cinnamon, salt and butter. Stir until combined.
2. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the bowl, then transfer onto a floured work surface.
3. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape, and smear the softened cream cheese over the dough.
4. Fold the dough in half, then half that and so on until you have folded the dough into a small rectangle. Then roll out the dough again until it is about 1/2" thick rectangle.
5. Spread the filling mixture evenly on top of the dough, leaving a 1/2" border.
6. Starting on a long side, roll the dough into a log, pinching gently to keep it rolled. Be gentle with the dough, as the cream cheese makes it a bit more delicate, and this part can get messy. (You've been warned! But it's totally worth it.) Pinch the seal closed gently.
7. With the seam side down, cut the dough crosswise with a sharp knife into 18 slices. I've found that making a cut in the middle, then making cuts in the middle of those (and so on and so forth) is the easiest way to get evenly-cut rolls.

Prepare the sticky glaze

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and salt until incorporated and smooth.
2. Spray two round baking dishes with nonstick spray.
3. Pour the sticky glaze in the bottoms of the baking dishes, then gently place the rolls in the dishes. There should not be much space between the rolls.
4. Cover the baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towels. Let the dough rise for a second time in a warm spot until it has doubled in size. (This second rise should take around 45 minutes.)

Bake the Sticky Buns

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. When the oven has preheated, place the baking dishes in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Remove from the oven.
3. Invert the rolls onto a plate (so the sticky topping is front and center!), and let cool for 10 minutes.
4. While the rolls are cooling, make the Cream Cheese Icing.
5. In a small bowl, whip the cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth with a hand mixer (or a stand mixer.)
6. When rolls have cooled slightly, serve individually, and drizzle the icing on top of the served rolls. Enjoy with a glass of milk!