Alice Medrich's Sticky Pecan Bites

After my recent interview with baker extraordinaire Alice Medrich regarding her latest cookbook, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies, I was eager to set out on my own cookie extravaganza. With holiday parties to attend, the timing was perfect.
The first recipe I adapted and baked from her book yielded these adorable Sticky Pecan Bites.

They're essentially itty bity cinnamon buns with a flaky and perfectly tender cream biscuit dough. That darkened inner swirl is made rich with a smearing of softened butter and warmly spiced with cinnamon sugar. Since each of the bites is baked upside down in a mini muffin tin, the brown sugar caramelizes and oozes downwards to form a gooey syrup around a toasted pecan half. The best part, other than having two dozen cookies in your kitchen, is that the recipe is simple and straight forward.

They're lovely when just turned out of the pan and eaten while still warm.

Here is how I made them:

Place one pecan in each of the 24 cups of two mini muffin tins.

In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.

Pour heavy cream into the center of the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle roughly 12" x 7". It helps to dust your rolling pin with dough as well.

Spread three tablespoons of softened butter all over the dough.

Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture you made earlier over the dough, leaving a 1/2" border on all sides. Start at one short end and roll the dough into a log.

Use a very sharp knife to cut the log cross-wise into 24 small spirals.

Press one mini cinnamon bun into each of the cups of your mini muffin tin, cut-side-up.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 400°F, or until the buns begin to turn a light golden.

Get the full recipe:

Sticky Pecan Bites

-Andrea Mitchell, Foodista staff and blogger at CanYouStayForDinner.com