On the MyBrownBaby Table: Candied Yam Sticky Buns

By SHELLEY CHAPMAN

In addition to November being my birthday month, I have many reasons to love this time of year—particularly because of all the goodies I get to create and consume. Between Halloween treats, birthday dinners, Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas gatherings and New Year's Eve galas, I often find myself in culinary heaven. In past years, my offerings have been confined to my friends and family, but these days, I share my creative foodisms with the world via NaturiBeauty Blog and MyBrownBaby guest posts, and so my inner creative food genius is demanding I. BRING. IT. And BROUGHT IT, I have, with this special recipe, the perfect compliment to winter chills, comforting warmth, and that lovely holiday spirit. I've combined the spice of cinnamon, the sweetness of brown sugar, and the comfort of candied yams and rolled it all up into a nice, spicy, rich November treat: Candied Yam Sticky Buns—vegan style. Dig it...

CANDIED YAM STICKY BUNS
WITH VEGAN CREAM CHEESE VANILLA GLAZE

Dough Ingredients
*1 15oz. can of candied yams/ 1/4 cup reserved liquid
**2.5 cups self-rising flour
4 TB caster sugar
4.5 TSP Ener-G Egg Replacer
3 TB warm water
8 TB melted vegan margarine
Pumpkin Spice
Cinnamon

Filling Ingredients
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 TB caster sugar
Generous dash of cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients
1/2 cup sifted powder sugar
2 TB vegan cream cheese, softened
1 TB vegan margarine, softened
about 2 TB boiling water
1 TSP vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS FOR DOUGH
1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash candied yams with pumpkin spice in separate bowl.
3. Add flour, sugar, salt, more pumpkin spice in large bowl
4. Mix yam mixture in two parts with flour mixture (it will be crumbly)
5. Mix Ener-G Egg Replacer with 3 TB warm water; add to yam flour
6. Mix melted butter with reserved liquid from canned yams; add to flour mix in three parts as you continually mix dough.
7. Once it resembles dough, shape into a ball
8. Flour clean, flat surface and rolling pin; roll dough into an oblong shape or rectangle about 1/2 inch thick & about 10-12 inches wide

FILLING DIRECTIONS
9. Mix brown sugar, caster sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle/spread evenly on rolled dough.

ROLLING DIRECTIONS
10. Start rolling form longest (length) side, careful not to break the dough, until completely rolled like a jelly roll.
11. Once rolled into a log, cut into eight even sections.
12. In an 8: cake pan, arrange pieces cut side up in a circle starting around the edge of pan and working toward the center.
13. Bake at 350 deg for 30-35 minutes.

GLAZE DIRECTIONS
14. Sift powdered sugar into bowl; make a well in the center.
15. Place cream cheese and butter in center.
16. Pour boiling water over the cream cheese and butter and stir to mix (add in more water if necessary), until glaze coats the back of the spoon.
17. Stir in vanilla.
18. Drizzle glaze over the rolls; serve warm or cold ( I like 'em hot!) and ENJOY!

*If you prefer not to use reserved liquid, you may use 1/4 cup almond milk or soy milk (vanilla flavored is best)
**If you do not have self-rising flour, you may substitute 2.5 cups of all purpose flour with 1 TB of baking powder

About our MyBrownBaby contributor:
Shelley Chapman is a culinary artisan whose passion for "natural, from scratch, quality ingredient meals" led her to consult on meal preparation, planning and holistic consumption as a personal chef for her company, Naturi Beauty Concepts. She offers private culinary services in the Atlanta area, specializing in Vegan and Vegetarian cuisine with a global influence. For more tasty vegetarian/vegan recipes, please visit Shelley at Naturi Beauty.