buttery German pecan sticky buns, filled with raisins and cinnamon
Place the butter and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle and cream at low speed until smooth. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, then the sour cream, yeast, vinegar, and vanilla, mixing at medium speed for about 3 minutes, until well incorporated.
Replace the paddle with the dough hook and add the flour gradually, mixing at a low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. Remove the dough, dust the top with flour, and press it into a rectangle about 2 inches thick. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, place the 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) of room temperature butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix until smooth. Spoon the creamed butter-sugar mixture into the bottoms of a standard 12 well muffins tin. Use a pastry brush to coat the inside of the cups completely with the butter mixture.
Scatter the pecans generously over the butter-sugar mixture in the muffin cups. Set aside.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Flour your work surface generously and roll it out an into an 8-by-13-inch rectangle about ¼" thick.
Sprinkle the dough with the 1 cups brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1 cup raisins. Your lightly floured hands to gently press the raisins and sugar down into the dough. With the long side of the rectangle facing you, roll the dough up tightly into a log.
Trim the ends of the rolls slightly and cut the log into 12 slices, about 1 inch thick for the regular schnecken. Place each piece into the prepared muffin cups, cut side down, so that the swirls are face up. Press them down gently into the tins. Cover the baking pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and Let the schnecken rise for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Place the muffin tin on top of a rimmed cookie sheet, to prevent any buttery spills in your oven. Bake the schnecken on the middle rack until golden, about 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and invert onto a clean baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to the schnecken to cool mostly, but they are amazing when enjoyed fresh from the oven!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.