Just call me your Saturday morning hero. Why you might ask??
Three words: CARAMEL MONKEY BREAD
It's Saturday morning and the nearest bakery is kinda far away. Like far enough away that you really don't want to throw on a coat and shove your fuzzy socked feet into weather appropriate shoes to drive across town but you do really need that Saturday morning dessert fix. Lucky for you there could be monkey bread fresh out of the oven in less than hour with ingredients you probably already have + some biscuits from the refrigerated aisle. EASY PEASY
If you are unfamiliar with monkey bread: 1. It's a midwestern thing. Every mom has their own version of it. 2. It's a WAY easier version of caramel rolls but equally as satisfying. (and maybe more because you didn't waste hours of life hoping for dough to rise!!) This caramel monkey bread is comprised of soft store bought biscuit dough covered in cinnamon sugar, and then baked in the most delicious soft caramel. The outside of the monkey caramelizes with a slightly crisp exterior while the inside stays warm and gooey. With just a few steps you are well on your way to dessert for breakfast!
So let's get started- Here's what you need to get out:
Stove pot (for caramel)
bundt pan
non stick spray
A few things to note:
You need 24 oz of refrigerated biscuit dough which could be 2-3 cans depending on your brand selection
The biscuit dough should be the buttermilk or homestyle, not the flaky layers kind!
Deciding when this bread is done can be a little tricky. You definitely want the biscuits on top to be golden brown and the caramel bubbling around the edges but I HIGHLY recommend getting a digital kitchen thermometer. They are less than $20 on amazon and will change your cooking/baking. It's the key to perfectly cooked steak AND monkey bread. Talk about versatile ;) The internal temp of the monkey bread should be 190 degrees.
I always put a baking pan lined with parchment on the shelf underneath the bundt pan to avoid any caramel spillage on the bottom of the oven.
Your Burning questions:
Why is it called monkey bread?
Rumor has it that it is because we eat monkey bread by picking off the pieces one at a time just like monkey groom each other by picking off fleas. We love an appetizing back story.
Can I double this recipe?
Only if you want to clean a magma hot layer of burned caramel out of the bottom of your oven and test your smoke detectors. The recipe is made to fit in one bundt pan and anymore could cause the caramel to boil up and out of the pan. You can easily double this recipe but just put it into an additional pan. (PS. you can also make this in just a regular pan just adjust your cook time accordingly)
Can I make my own biscuit dough?
You could but I have never tried it. If you do- leave a comment on this post and let everyone know how you did it and how it went. If you really want to make your own dough I suggest trying to make caramel rolls instead!
Can I make it ahead?
You can prep elements of the monkey bread ahead if needed. However, because it is so easy I would recommend just making it all in one go. If you want to make part of it ahead you can cut up the biscuits and roll them in cinnamon sugar and put them in their pan covered with plastic wrap overnight. Then you would just need to make the caramel in the morning!
Shall we take a quick peak at the effort scale??
As far a doughy breakfast items go this one is E A S Y. Yes you do have to make a caramel and that takes a few minutes at the stove but its not too difficult or time consuming. So hop to it!
It's definitely best when enjoyed warm but keep any leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave before enjoying again!!
xo,
Lauren
Comments