MONKEY BREAD

While I'm not a "lazy" baker, I do prefer recipes that are relatively easy to make.  On the other hand, I do not like using pre-made, or boxed items in a recipe.  I like to make everything from scratch.  With that in mind, the recipe for Monkey Bread challenges that.  I have seen some recipes for this that calls for using uncooked biscuits instead of making dough yourself.  I do not use those recipes because I like to bake from scratch.  As a result, that increases the time involved to make this recipe, but I feel it is worth it.

 I am a big fan of the show, America's Test Kitchen, and the recipe I use for Monkey Bread come from their cookbook, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.  Their recipe serves 6 to 8 people.  The prep time is 1 hour and 30 minutes, including dough making and rising time.  The total time is 3 hours and 25 minutes, not including cooling time.  So this recipe is a little more time involved, but well worth it!  The monkey bread tastes like caramelized cinnamon rolls, nice and moist :)

DOUGH:

1 C. whole milk, warm

1/3 C. water, warm

3 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 Tbs honey

3 3/4 C. bread flour, plus extra for the counter

1 envelope (2 1/2 tsp) instant or rapid-rise yeast

2 tsp salt

1. Whisk milk, water, 3 Tbs butter, and the honey together in a large liquid measuring cup.  Mix 3 1/2 C. flour, yeast, and salt together in a standing mixer, using a dough hook.  With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute.

2. Increase speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  (If, after 5 minutes, more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 C. flour, 1 Tbs at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.)

3. Turn the dough onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 1 minute.  Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

CARAMEL MIXTURE:

7 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for the pan

1 Tbs vanilla extract

3/4 C. granulated sugar

1/2 C. packed light brown sugar

3/4 C. pecans, toasted and chopped fine, optional

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1. Lightly grease a large tube or Bundt pan.  Combine butter and vanilla in a shallow bowl.  Toss the sugars, nuts (if using), cinnamon, and salt together in a separate bowl, then spread out over a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter, divide it into 36 even pieces, and cover with plastic wrap.  Working with one piece at a time (keeping other pieces covered), round into a tight ball.  Roll the balls in the butter mixture, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat and arrange evenly in the prepared pan.  Drizzle any remaining butter and sugar mixture over the top.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours.

3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the monkey bread until golden, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use a thin-bladed knife to loosen the edges of the bread from the pan.  Being careful of the hot caramel, flip the bread out onto a serving platter, letting the caramel drip out of the pan over the bread.  Let the bread cool slightly before serving. 

~You can cut the bread, but I like to just pull it apart and serve it that way.


NOTES:

 ~I have used this recipe several times, and half of the time I don't use the pecans.  I personally don't like pecans, and only use them when requested by someone else, otherwise I'll use walnuts.  You can switch walnuts for the pecans in the recipe, if you prefer. 

~If you like, you can use the glaze from cinnamon rolls to drizzle over the finished monkey bread once it's done. (Recipe to follow, for those interested).

CINNAMON ROLL GLAZE:

3 Tbs cream cheese, softened
3 Tbs buttermilk or milk
1 1/2 C. confectioners' sugar

Whisk the cream cheese and buttermilk together in a large bowl until thick and smooth.  Sift the confectioners' sugar over the mixture and whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Using a large spoon, drizzle the glaze over the warm monkey bread.



CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

Last week I asked a friend what I should bake that night.  He suggested oatmeal raisin cookies.  I am NOT a fan of raisins, so I figured I could put chocolate chips in the cookies instead.  As I started on the recipe, I wondered how it would be with cranberries in them as well.  The recipe I used was the Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, from Allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS:

1 C. butter, softened

1 C. packed light brown sugar

1/2 C. white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 C. quick-cooking oats

1 C. chopped walnuts

1 C. semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until smooth.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.  Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips.  Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

(I modified the recipe according to a suggestion in the recipe review.  I increased the flour by 1/2 C. and baking soda by 1/2 tbs, and cut the salt by 1/2 tsp.  I substituted the cranberries for the walnuts).

3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  (I only cooked mine for about 10 1/2 minutes, I like a softer cookie).

                                   

The original recipe makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.  I prefer smaller cookies, and I was able to get about 6 dozen cookies.  I hope you enjoy these cookies, I did!