Saturday, September 24, 2011

How Can You Turn an Ordinary Biscuit into an Extraordinary Treat?

Hi Blog readers (or Bleaders..as my son Ben would say). After several weeks of serious and heartfelt posts, I thought it was time for some lighter fare. However, these delicious treats are not light (in the nutritional sense), but they are delicious!
Growing up, I always looked forward to the Oneg Shabbat after services where all were free to peruse a wide assortment of treats. I really had eyes for only one back then, the gooey pull-apart coffee cake still warm from the oven. I would happily bypass all other cookies and cakes in order to be the first in line for the cinnamony perfection of "Pull Apart Cake."
 Fast forward 30+ years, and I finally decided to try and recreate it. After many google searches, I surmised that what we had called "Pull-Apart Cake" was also called "Monkey Bread."
My dear friend, and keeper of all secrets culinary, Berne Black, has since informed me that there is a slight difference between the two. However, for our purposes today, we will ignore the slight variations. After some (almost tragic) trial and error--(suffice it to say I over-stuffed the pan and had a butter-sugar oven fire)--I think I have finally come up with the perfect proportions and instructions.

Monkey Bread begins with the oh-so-humble canned biscuit.
If a canned biscuit can be transformed into the extreme perfection of monkey bread, then certainly there is hope for all of us to become whatever we dream of being :)

Ingredients:
2 cans of Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits
Butter/Flour Baking Spray
2 sticks of unsalted butter--melted
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Spray bundt pan with baking spray
Cut each biscuit into fourths and roll into balls (you should end up with 64 balls)
Reserve about 1/4 of melted butter and mix with brown sugar and set aside.
Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in bowl
Dip biscuit balls into melted butter and then roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture
Start stacking the balls in the bundt pan forming layers.
Don't worry that the layers look like they don't take up enough of the pan: they
will expand a lot when baked.
Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven. 
Pour brown sugar-butter mixture over dough and put back into oven for
another 25-30 minutes.
Best served warm!


Happy Eating!!!!

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