Each December begins exactly like its predecessors. I eagerly await all the wonders and excitement of the season, that is, until some unforeseen person gives me a Christmas gift or I realize I didn't enter some one's holiday extravaganza on my calendar. There I am dashing out the door to celebrate with them. This year was no exception, in fact, it was far worse. On the morning of Christmas Eve, I decided I'd make monkey bread for Christmas morning. It seemed a lovely way to start Christmas day. I pictured my family, ambling into the kitchen on Christmas morning, the scent of fresh bread tickling their nostrils. For some reason, my fantasies entail a lot of work. There I was dashing home from work on Christmas Eve to mix the bread dough before heading to dinner. I kicked myself during the entire bread preparation process. I did the same thing the following morning when I trudged into the kitchen while everyone else was sleeping. There I was in an icy, cold kitchen forming monkey bread into 64 balls and coating them with a cinnamon sugar mixture. The bread's density had me on the brink of a panic attack; I kept wondering if it had risen properly in the refrigerator. Only the cat strolled in, hair all mussed, to watch the lunacy.
Here's the thing...this bread was heaven at first bite. Not only did the fragrance of caramel mixing with cinnamon scent the entire house, but the bread itself was purely luxurious. Its taste has been likened to both a cinnabon and/or challah. The first bite was rich, decadent and perfectly caramelized. The challah-like bread tempered the sweetness of the caramel perfectly. While the recipe isn't for the faint of heart, the final product will wow your family and friends. I encourage you to try it! Here's the recipe.
Yield: 20 Servings
20 0
Here's the thing...this bread was heaven at first bite. Not only did the fragrance of caramel mixing with cinnamon scent the entire house, but the bread itself was purely luxurious. Its taste has been likened to both a cinnabon and/or challah. The first bite was rich, decadent and perfectly caramelized. The challah-like bread tempered the sweetness of the caramel perfectly. While the recipe isn't for the faint of heart, the final product will wow your family and friends. I encourage you to try it! Here's the recipe.
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Before Baking
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Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread
Prep: 20 min. + chilling Bake: 30 min. + coolingIngredients
- 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup water (110° to 115°)
- 1-1/4 cups warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- CARAMEL:
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- ASSEMBLY:
- 3/4 cup chopped Diamond of California® Pecans
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Directions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough. I used the entire 5 cups.
- Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Note - this dough doesn't rise to a substantial height. Mine just about doubled in size.
- For caramel, in a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and cream to a boil. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Pour half into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan; sprinkle with half of the pecans.
- Punch dough down; shape into 64 balls (about 1 in. diameter). Note - I divided the dough into 4 equal parts. Then I took each part, cut that into quarters and made quarters again. In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Place melted butter in another bowl. Dip balls in butter, then roll in sugar mixture.
- Place 30 or so balls in the tube pan; top with remaining caramel and pecans. Top with remaining balls. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Note - Prior to shaping the balls, I heated my oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Once heated, I turned it off and cracked the oven door. I then let the shaped bread rise in the warmed oven. The oven should be approximately 90 degrees. Note-place the balls like you would if making a brick wall, meaning stagger them.
- Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. (I covered the pan loosely with foil at the 20 minute mark to prevent the top from browning too quickly.) Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm. Yield: 1 loaf (20 servings).
Nutritional Facts 2 pieces equals 334 calories, 15 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 52 mg cholesterol, 207 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.
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