I first saw Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey at a bookstore a few months ago. After a brief flip-through, I added it to my ever-growing cookbook wish list. Finally, I bought a copy and sat down with it to give it a good study. My thoughts about this book can really be summed up in one sentence. This has to be one of the most decadent cookbooks I’ve ever read.
For my first foray into its recipes, I chose these biscuits. Calling them biscuits just seems insulting. They are so much more than that. Actually, to me, the biscuits play a very small part in the recipe. They are surrounded by cinnamon and sugar, and topped with a sticky caramel-pecan sauce that would make dentists squirm.
Quinn and I made these as a joint effort. I don’t know that I’m comfortable calling them “quick.” I suppose they are quicker than a similar recipe made with yeast. But, don’t think you’ll have these mixed up and in the oven in no time. Just think of “quick” as a relative term.
Anyway, the real story is the final result. Oh, wow, these are good. All that sugar and cinnamon and caramel and pecans! This is definitely a dish to be shared. Very rich and indulgent, these are certainly a good example of a little goes a long way.
Ingredients
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 & 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup very cold or frozen unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
- 1 & 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
To make the pecan sauce:
Spray a 9″x 13″ pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Place brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat. When butter is melted, increase heat to high and bring to a gentle boil. Cook 3-5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in pecans. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Set aside.
To make the biscuits:
Preheat oven to 425°.
Sift together twice the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender. Blend until mixture mostly looks like coarse crumbs, with some of the butter the size of small peas.
Make a shallow well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in 1 & 1/2 cups of buttermilk. Blend with a fork to form a soft dough. If dough is too dry, add the remaining 1/2 cup of buttermilk.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a few times, then pat into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 square biscuits.
To make the topping:
Stir together sugar and cinnamon. Brush the tops of the biscuits with about half of the melted butter. Sprinkle with about half of the cinnamon-sugar.
Place the biscuits, cinnamon-sugar side down into the pan. Brush the tops (that were the bottoms) of the biscuits with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar.
Bake about 15-17 minutes. The biscuits should be golden brown and puffy, and the pecan sauce should be bubbling around the biscuits.
Cool slightly, then invert onto a serving plate. Remove pan to allow sauce to fall around the biscuits. Scrape any remaining sauce from the pan onto the biscuits. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey.
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:39 am
Mmm caramel, sugar and cinnamon (not sure about the pecans)! These look great. I keep seeing people posting recipes out of this book that look so good.
January 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 am
Ooey, gooey goodness.
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:05 am
I saw this book too and it’s good to see some of the recipes actually tried out. These look great!
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:24 am
I got this book for Christmas and I agree with you. Every page is filled with rich and decadent treats. I was eyeing this recipe but I haven’t played around with yeast bread much. Great pictures of the buns.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 am
I got this cookbook for Hanukkah and have been dying to try this recipe. Now I can’t wait!
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 am
Thanks, everyone, for the compliments!
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:54 am
this looks amazing! goodness, I’m trying to get away from these foods (post-holiday pudge) … you’re not helping! it’s ok, i can enjoy reading about it at least
love the photographs, as usual!
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:34 am
These definitely exemplify the title of the book! I hope you have a very fun and delicious year in 2008!
Julie
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Decadent is a wonderful word to describe this cookbook. It is a great cookbook! These look wonderful!
January 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Ohhh they look wickidly indulgant.
January 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Thanks, Linda, Julie, Deborah, and Katie! Happy new year!
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:01 pm
You are torturing me:) My 2008 food goal is to make (successfully) sticky pecan cinnamon rolls & seeing this recipe is so much easier & yum!
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:18 pm
JEP, these are definitely easier and faster than the normal yeast-based sticky buns. Let me know what you think if you try them!
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Those sticky buns look so good! Just look at the gooey nuttiness oozing down the side.
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Hi Jen a belated Happy New Year!!
I’ll have to try this one..I had to stop going to certain malls because of my weakness for Cinnabons. When I was down in Florida I knew of this small little restaurant where they would bring you out fresh Sticky buns instead of rolls. My brother asked me where this place was and I told him it’s “None of your Biscuit”
January 3rd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Kevin, they are so gooey and yummy…. Words really don’t do them justice.
Tom, I think that restaurant would be a must-try just for the sticky buns. What a great idea!
March 8th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Made these wonderful biscuits this morning!
They were great! Love your site ~ thanks for the recipe!
March 8th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
And….wanted to let you know that I featured you on my blog today!
March 8th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Thanks, Betsy! I’m glad you liked them!
August 10th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
They look yummy! Maybe the “quick” refers to how fast they go.