Some people would like to celebrate National Sticky Bun Day, February 21st, every day.

Sticky buns, a breakfast pastry for the sweet-toothed, are also known as a honey buns, and are closely related to cinnamon buns, cinnamon rolls and cinnamon swirls.

Many people use the terms interchangeably, but a sticky bun needs to have the sticky topping (caramel, honey, maple syrup, sugar syrup) and not all cinnamon rolls do.

The buns are baked together in a pan and then cut apart.

You can read about it, and agree to disagree, here.

We’re not getting into any arguments today—we’re just heading over to our favorite local bakery to pick some up some freshly-baked sticky buns.

Those who do not live near an artisan bakery can head to the nearest Cinnabon for an iced cinnamon roll.

It’s not a sticky bun, but it will suffice!
  

Our tip of the day today is a tasty tip indeed: Make a cherry version of your favorite chocolate chip cookies to celebrate George Washington’s birthday. The Father of our Country was born February 22, 1732.

Look for cherry baking chips in baking supply stores or online. Then, make your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, dividing the chip quantity between chocolate chips (or white chocolate chips) and cherry chips.

Another variation on the theme is to add an extra half cup of dried cherries to your recipe (with or without the cherry chips).

You also can sprinkle the cherry chips on cupcakes, use them to decorate cakes and puddings, garnish ice cream and add them to muffin and pancake batter.

Do you love cherry pie…but know that you would love it even more if you could get a top-quality pie filling? Wish no more: Chukar Cherries, a purveyor of the finest cherries and cherry products made from Washington State cherries, makes the best cherry pie and cobbler fillings we’ve ever seen commercially (all natural and certified kosher). Cherry Blueberry filling is made from tart Montmorency cherries plus blueberries (think of it as the high-antioxidant pie filling). Triple Cherry filling combines Bing, Rainier and Montmorency cherries. You can these high-quality toppers on muffins, ice cream, puddings and other desserts. Since George Washington’s actual birth date is February 22nd, bake a pie or cobbler in his honor*—you’ll save so much time with these cherries that you can make a homemade crust. When you order the cherry pie filling, check out the delicious preserves, toppings and barbecue sauces—and the scrumptious dried cherries, far finer than much of what is available.- Read our review of Chukar Cherries pie fillings and other baking products.

Read our review of Chukar’s premium dried cherries.
Finish with a look at their cherry preserves and dessert toppings.

Gourmet dates from Dateland.com. From
left to right, counterclockwise: Medjool
dates, Khadrawy dates, Halawi dates and
Honey dates. Photo courtesy Dateland.com.

If there are any leftovers (not likely), they make great breakfast treats and midday snacks. Kids love them, too (they’ll also enjoy them stuffed with peanut butter).

Dates are the oldest fruit cultivated crop by man. Dates are mentioned more than 50 times in the Bible. In Biblical times, the fruit was considered sacred.

More than 30 varieties are grown today. The most famous to Americans is the Medjool date, considered to be the finest variety grown. In ancient times, they were grown exclusively for royalty. Succulent and velvety, Medjool dates are fragile in nature and must be harvested by hand. They can cost 50% more than other varieties, so most people enjoy them for eating only, not for cooking or baking.

Other familiar varieties include: