Her sticky buns help get day off to sweet start

NEEDHAM -- The sticky buns are rising under a sheet of wax paper, the pale swirls of dough expanding until the buns nestle against each other, hiding the layer of sugar and nuts. These aren't just any sweet rolls. They're 15-year-old Abby Snellings's famous sticky buns.

Every year on Thanksgiving, Abby and her dad, John, head to a neighbor's house to set up a communal meal along the banks of the Charles River. To fuel their preparations, Abby bakes her breakfast treats, without which there might not be turkey dinner to enjoy. They've become such an expected part of the day that John Snellings thinks mutiny would ensue if the buns weren't on hand.

"Everyone expects the sticky buns on Thanksgiving," explains Abby, as she slips the pan into the oven.

Her passion for baking was ignited four years ago on a family vacation to Napa Valley, Calif. Her uncle Bob Archer was one of the original staff members of Thomas Keller's celebrated French Laundry. One day, Uncle Bob brought her into the kitchen and introduced her to the pastry chef. Abby didn't get to have dinner at the restaurant -- the kids had pizza while their parents enjoyed Keller's famous French country cuisine -- but the visit was inspiring.

Now a sophomore at Needham High School, Abby pursued her newfound hobby during the summer after seventh grade, when her parents enrolled her in a one-week baking class for teens at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. There she learned to make pot pies, eclairs, pizza, and the sticky buns she's become known for. "I started baking a ton after that," she says.

It's a great boost for her parents. "If I'm out, I can call and tell her to make dinner," says her mother, Patrice.

Abby's talents aren't limited to the sweet kitchen. "My pork pot pie has a cheddar crust," Abby notes. "And apples in it, too." She counts the savory dish among her favorite recipes, closely followed by the Pennsylvania Dutch cookies snickerdoodles, and creme brulee, which she finishes with a torch.

She'd like to take a knife skills course but hasn't found one yet. "She's at an odd age for cooking," says Patrice. "The market isn't really there for high school students, so there aren't many classes."

In lieu of a class, Abby studies the Food Network chefs such as Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, and Paula Deen. She's planning a pilgrimage with her aunts to Deen's Savannah, Ga., restaurant, The Lady and Sons.

She also pores over cookbooks like the one she received last Christmas, "Teens Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat" by Megan and Jill Carle, which includes recipes for corn chowder, tuna melts, Mexican lasagna, and baked potato soup. "It's food I'd actually eat," says Abby.

She's read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain, and Michael Ruhlman's "The Soul of a Chef," which includes a chapter on Keller.

The stove buzzes to signal that the buns are ready. Curled into tight spirals, the sweet rolls are puffy and nearly bursting. As Abby turns them over and places them on a platter, their sticky glory is revealed: dark caramelized sugar dotted with candied pecans, which provide a nice crunch that contrasts with the rich dough.

Between mouthfuls, the teenager explains her latest passion: restaurants. When the family recently visited Uncle Bob in Las Vegas (he supervised the opening of Keller's bistro Bouchon), Abby picked Flay's Mesa Grill for dinner. Local favorites are Bonfire, where she was taken for her birthday, and Isabella's in Dedham.

"If I could go out to dinner every night, I would," she announces, then glances at her mother, who shakes her head. Abby may have to settle for what she can cook in her own kitchen.