Now, THIS week is a whole other story. I came home from vacation to find a big box of books on my doorstep. I'm taking courses! So I went right from vacation mode to school mode. My schedule has been full of studying and bookwork. Don't worry. I still found time to get this little post done up real pretty for ya.
This is a recipe that my mom and I made 2 weeks ago for LDS General Conference weekend. We always make a huge breakfast on Sunday morning, and this year I wanted Monkey Bread. My brother wanted cinnamon rolls. My mom, being a mother, found a way to compromise. So we give you, Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread!
Not only is this one a huge win, its super simple. Let's get started!!
Remember the Simple Bread Dough recipe? Well, if you don't, you can find it here. Remember how versatile I told you it was? WELLLLLLLL... See the above photo. It's the base of this yummy gooey mess. So you'll need it! But only about half of it, so use the other half for a loaf of bread for toast in the mornings!
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Find a bundt pan or angel food cake pan and grease it/spray it/Pam it. I suggest using one of these pans, as a regular cake pan will cause uneven cooking of the dough. Also, bring out an 8 ounce package of cream cheese and 1/2 a stick of butter to soften. You will use it while the bread is in the oven for your frosting.
Melt 1 stick of butter in the microwave. Then in a separate bowl, mix together 3 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 cup of regular sugar, and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Now grab your already made half batch of Simple Bread Dough and start cutting it into 1 1/2 inch balls.
Take your dough balls, and dip into the butter, then the cinnamon mixture, then put in the pan. Now, if you are a nut bread lover, this recipe works well with pecans. When we made this, we didn't put any in because my brother is a nut hater. I know. I don't get it either. But if you choose to use nuts, its completely encouraged! Continue dipping and mixing until you have a layer in the bottom of the pan. This is where the nuts come in. Sprinkle a few between each layer you complete. Then continue until the pan is about 3/4 full. You don't want to fill it completely, because the bread with expand and make big messes in your oven and that is a no-no. But just in case, line a cookie sheet (one that has a lip on it) with aluminum foil and place on the shelf below your Monkey Bread. It will catch all the sugar spills, if any, and save you a headache.
Before you put your pan in the oven there is one other vital step. It's crucial for the delicious-osity of the recipe. Melt 2 more sticks of butter. That's right. This is FULL of butter. Anyway. Melt the butter. Then add the remainder of your cinnamon sugar mixter to it and mix away. Now. Pour it over your bread. You will think "that's way too much butter! It doesn't look right!" But you are wrong. And I am right.
Anyway, after you pull your jaw off the floor at the sight of the butter, put that baby in the oven and let it cook for 30-45 minutes.
During this time, make your frosting.
Beat your 8 ounce package of cream cheese, 1/2 stick of butter (or 1/4 cup), 1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. If you like it runnier, you can add 1 Tablespoon at a time of milk to the frosting until it reaches the consistency you'd like. Like it thicker? Do the same with powdered sugar.
Once the bread is done, pull it out of the oven. Get it out of the pan while its hot and gooey. To do this, place a large plate over the top of the pan. USING HOT PADS, turn the pan and plate upside down so the plate is now on the bottom. Set down on the counter and again, USING HOT PADS, pat the sides of the pan to shake the bread from the walls. Then gently and carefully remove the pan, releasing cinnamon-y gooey goodness.
And it goes well with all your favorite breakfast items!
Servings: 16
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1/2 batch Simple Bread Dough
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tsp cinnnamon
2 sticks butter (to pour on top)
Optional: 1/2 cup pecans to add throughout
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt/angel food cake pan.
2. Melt 1 stick of butter in microwave. In separate bowl, mix together sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip balls into butter, roll in cinnamon sugar mixture, then put into pan. If you chose to add nuts, add them between each layer of dough.
3. When pan is 3/4 full, melt additional 2 sticks of butter and add the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture. pour on top of the monkey bread, then put in oven with an aluminum covered cookie sheet on shelf below to catch any excess spills. Bake for 30-45 minutes.
4. While bread is in oven, make cream cheese frosting by beating softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a mixer. If too thick for your liking, add 1 TBsp of milk at a time to thin. If too thin, add 1 TBsp of powdered sugar at a time to thicken.
5. When bread is done, remove from oven. Using HOT PADS, place plate on top of pan, then carefully turn pan and plate over so plate is on the bottom. Gently pat pan to release bread, then take pan off. Drizzle cream cheese frosting over the top. Use as much or as little as you'd like.
6. Enjoy!