DIY HONEY STICKS RECIPES

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk milk, butter, eggs, honey, salt, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed. Add yeast mixture, and whisk for 1 minute. Switch to dough hook, reduce speed to low, and add 4 cups flour. After flour is incorporated, raise speed to medium, and continue kneading.
• Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Raise speed to medium-high, and knead for 10 minutes. (Alternatively, knead by hand until smooth, 15 to 20 minutes.)
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until dough is very smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Make the filling and topping: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in honey, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat. Let cool. Combine mascarpone and creme fraiche in a bowl.
• Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 3 portions. Roll each into a ball. Freeze 2 for up to 3 months (thaw in the refrigerator before using). Roll remaining dough into a 10-by-13 1/2-inch rectangle. Brush lightly with honey, spread mascarpone mixture evenly on top, leaving a 1-inch border, and sprinkle with pecans. Starting on 1 long side, roll dough into a log. Pinch along seam to seal. Cut into nine 1 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Pour honey mixture into an 8-inch square baking pan. Place buns, cut sides down, in pan, 3 to a row. Let buns rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place oven rack in lower third. Bake buns, rotating halfway through, until brown and bubbling, about 1 hour. (If buns darken too quickly, cover with foil.) Set a wire rack on a baking sheet. Immediately invert buns onto rack. Drizzle with honey, and serve warm.

Steps:

• Cut meat into 2” pieces and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes while you set up the meat grinder.
• Set the grinder up with a 3/8” plate.
• Grind meat once through the 3/8” plate. Alternate between pork and venison every 8 oz or so to start the mixing process.
• Place the ground meat in the fridge while you reset the grinder with a 3/16” plate.
• Mix in Honey BBQ seasoning, cure and encapsulated citric acid to the meat block. Mix for 6-10 minutes until protein extraction has started. The meat should be very tacky and stick to your hands.
• Mix in the high temp cheddar cheese until just combined.
• Set up your stuffer with a ½” horn and crank down until the meat fills the horn.
• Load the casings onto the horn and fill the casings.
• Lay the cased sausage on sheet trays and place in the fridge over night to allow the cure to work and for the flavors to marry.
• The following day, preheat your smoker to 120 degrees.
• Hang the snack sticks, no longer than 4’, on smoke sticks and place in the smoker. Increase heat to 130 degrees and follow this smoke schedule:
• 1 hour – smoke on
• Increase heat to 150 degrees
• 1 hour – smoke on
• Increase heat to 170 degrees
• Remove sawdust and cook until internal temperature of the snack sticks reach 155 degrees.
• Remove the snack sticks from the smoker and allow to hang at room temperature for 45-60 minutes or until the internal temperature drops to 110 degrees.
• Then place the snack sticks in the fridge to cool completely down below 40 degrees. Enjoy!