Recipe: Maple Sticky Buns

by Ken Haedrich

Maple Sticky Buns Excerpted with publisher permission from Maple Syrup Cookbook by ©1989,2001,2015 by Ken Haedrich, Published by Storey Publishing, Photography by © Michael Piazza Photography. All rights reserved.

Read cookbook review here

Yield: 9 servings

If you like sticky buns but can seldom find the time to make the real thing, these are for you. I’ve taken an ordinary biscuit recipe and turned it into something quite extraordinary with the help of a maple glaze. And I seal the deal with a brown sugar, walnut, and cinnamon filling. You’ll want to make these for a special Sunday breakfast.

Ingredients 

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts 

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 cup pure maple syrup 

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon cold butter 

21/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1 cup milk 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F/200 deg. C. Mix together the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside. 

2. In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup and 4 tablespoons of the butter to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 30 seconds, then scrape into a 9-inch square baking pan or a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Set aside. 

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Cut 4 tablespoons of the butter into 1/2-inch pieces, add to the flour mixture, and cut it in until the butter is roughly the size of split peas. Make a well in the mixture and add the milk. Stir gently, just until the mixture forms a damp, cohesive mass. If the dough seems a bit wet, work in a tad more flour with the back of a wooden spoon. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan. 

4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently five or six times. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into the best 9- by 12-inch rectangle you can manage; don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. Brush the surface with the melted butter. 

5. Cover the dough evenly with the brown sugar mixture, patting it gently with your hands. Starting at the 9-inch edge, roll up the dough like a carpet, pinching at the seam to seal. Cut into nine 1-inch slices and lay them flat in the baking pan with the syrup. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert onto a large plate; do this quickly but carefully, being aware that the syrup is very hot. Oven mitts are a good precaution. Scrape any syrupy stuff from the pan and spread over the buns.