And A Little Holiday Cheer: Monkey Bread

In my house, we have but one real holiday tradition. We make Monkey Bread every Christmas eve and that is what we eat Christmas morning before, during and after gift opening. I have seen recipes for Monkey Bread that use refrigerated biscuits, and while I'm sure that it's a heckuva lot easier than my recipe, I like the tedium of my way. I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine way back when... and though I cheat for the whole dough rising part (I make the dough in my bread maker), I'll write the recipe as written and not how I do it!

INGREDIENTS:
For the Bread:
1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. granulated sugar, plus a pinch for yeast
1 package yeast (this is roughly 2 1/4 tsp if you use the jarred yeast for the breadmaker)
2 tbsp shortening (plus more to grease pan and bowl)
3/4 c. milk, warmed
1 tsp salt
1 large egg
3 1/4 c. flour

For the coating:
1 stick butter, melted
3/4 c. light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (We never include the nuts, actually - and it's still good)

For the Icing:
1/4 c. milk
2 c. powdered sugar

HOW YOU DO IT:
1. Put warm water and pinch of sugar in small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top. Stir, let yeast soften and dissolve. About 5 minutes.

2. Place shortening, warm milk, sugar, salt & egg in mixer bowl. Grease bundt pan and a medium bowl.

3. Once yeast is dissolved and foamy, add it to mixer bowl; mix well with dough hook. Slowly add flour. Knead on medium-low 1 minute or by hand 5 minutes. Place in the greased bowl; cover with plastic. Set dough in warm place and let rest 20 minutes.

4. Make coating: Put melted butter in a bowl. In another bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts; sprinkle 2 tbsps nut mixture in Bundt pan. Cut dough into 1/2 inch pieces. Roll into balls.

5. Dip balls in butter, then roll in nut mixture; place in prepared bundt pan.

6. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in pan.

8. Turn bread out of pan; cool 20 minutes on rack or plate.

9. Make icing: in small bowl, stir milk into powdered sugar. Drizzle over bread.


*Random note: This is the first year I actually have a bundt pan. I've always used an angel food cake pan. IF you use an angel food pan, put a cookie sheet underneath it - I've had years where the buttery mix oozes out, drips and the smoke alarm goes off. Not good. This year I'll be using my bundt pan now that I finally have one.