Little Monkey Bread Cans

from Megan Day, Barbecue champion and co-owner of Burnt Finger BBQ

1/2 cup white sugar
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tubes Jumbo buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits per tube) Any tube of biscuits will work. If using a smaller biscuit, cut them into 4 equal-sized pieces.

Grill or smoker
Cooking Spray
Large plastic storage bag
Kitchen shears or knife
Small sauce pan or small loaf foil pan
Six 15oz. tin cans
Choose a can with non-BPA lining. Remove the labels and glue from the outside of the cans

Preheat grill or smoker to 300 degrees F.
Clean, remove labels, and empty six tin cans and spray interior with cooking spray.
In a large plastic storage bag place 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 tbsp. of the ground cinnamon. Shake to combine.
Open one tube of jumbo biscuits and cut each into 6 equal-sized pieces. You will have 48 biscuit pieces in total. Place a few at a time into the cinnamon sugar mixture and shake to coat. Evenly distribute these amongst 3 of your tin cans.
Add second tablespoon of ground cinnamon to the sugar mixture and repeat the cutting and coating steps. Distribute the coated pieces between the remaining three tin cans. Each can should have 16 coated biscuit pieces.
Melt butter in a small sauce pan over direct medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir constantly to combine without allowing the mixture to boil. Once combined, remove from heat and pour equal amounts of the sauce into each can.
Place cans over indirect heat and bake for 30 minutes or until biscuits have risen and are no longer doughy. Be sure to periodically rotate the cans to promote an even bake.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn can over onto plate and allow the sauce to run out and biscuits to release from the can.

Sometimes we just want our own little dessert!
Be sure to grab a marker and have everyone write their initials to claim one of the cans!
There is great excitement in knowing one of those little monkey bread cans is ALL yours. The steps in this recipe make it easy for the family to get involved and own a portion of the process.
Adults can prep the tin cans, cut the biscuits & make the sauce.
Kid-friendly tasks in this recipe include spraying the inside of the tin cans, shaking the dough pieces in the bag of cinnamon sugar, and counting out 16 coated biscuit pieces for each tin can.

Place one tablespoon of cinnamon into the sugar bag for the first tubes-worth of biscuit pieces. Then add the second tablespoon of cinnamon to the same bag of sugar to finish out the second tube of biscuit pieces.
If you like more cinnamon, continue to add dashes of cinnamon to the sugar bag after every other coating shake.
To prevent overcrowding, try to only shake 6 to 8 dough pieces at at time so each piece gets well coated.
Be patient! It may take a while for the butter and brown sugar to combine. Stir constantly. If you have a little lemon juice, add a few drops to make a smoother sauce.
This is also a great recipe to make over a fire pit or campfire!

If you are using a charcoal grill, create a two zone fire. Baking will take place on the cooler side of the grill.
If you are using a gas grill, only turn on one or two burners. The baking will take place on the cooler side of the grill.
If you are using a pellet grill or smoker, set your temperature to 300 degrees F. If you are using a smoker, adjust your vents and fire to run your pit at 300 degrees F.
If you are unsure of your grill’s ambient temperature, cut a potato in half and stick a thermometer probe threw the potato so the tip comes out on the other side. Place the cut side of the potato on the indirect side of the grill and see what the tip is reading for the temperature inside your grill.