Happy Easter y’all.
If you missed an Easter service yesterday morning, I’m sorry — I wish you could have all come to the one at our church because it was awesome. I might have been tempted to do a little holy fist-pumping at one point, but I tried to behave like an adult. Following church we headed to an Easter potluck where I gorged myself on deviled eggs, fried chicken, and way too much strawberry trifle. Because we are crazy and I love food/socializing, we had also started the morning off early with a pre-church breakfast at our place. You can see James’ excitement about the early morning deal, though he still put together that awesome Easter basket complete with Magnum bars, and way more Reese’s eggs than anyone should ever eat. But then again, in the words of one of our fine bachelorettes from last season, “The only thing better than a Reese’s Easter egg is nothing.” Of course, one can not live off Reese’s eggs alone.
Which brings me to monkey bread.
Monkey bread is pure bready, gooey, sweet, bad-for-you goodness. My mom used to make it for the morning after my birthday parties, when we would stumble downstairs groggily after playing truth or dare or Dream Phone all night long. (Pause to wax poetic in my head about Dream Phone. Oh Steve.)
Then in college, the monkey bread would appear sometimes beside the soft serve machines, as if by magic. Oh Hillsdale.
The real magic? IT IS SO EASY TO MAKE. And when you whip it out at an early gathering, people are all “WHOA you made this THIS MORNING?” and you are all “Well, I am a domestic wonder,” when really you assembled the whole thing the night before in five minutes tops.
Monkey Bread
- 24 oz (appropx 24) frozen bread dough dinner rolls (the little balls)
- 1/2 cup plus 2 T butter
- cinnamon
- 1 pkg vanilla pudding mix (NOT instant)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup nuts/raisins if desired
- Melt butter and pour 2 T into bundt pan to grease bottom and sides. Arrange rolls evenly in pan and sprinkle generously with cinnamon (I use a lot). Sprinkle dry pudding over rolls, then nuts/raisins if using. Melt brown sugar with remaining 1/2 cup margarine and pour over top.
- At this point, you may put it in the freezer until another day or proceed. Allow to rise over night until rolls puff up to fill the pan.
- Bake 25 min at 350. Cool 10 min in pan then invert on serving plate.
- Invite everyone you know over to pull off hunks of gooey bread and enjoy.
The Art in Life 
YES. I’m already excited about next Saturday morning…what about putting chocolate chips in instead of raisins? Do I have permission to do that?
You have an almost moral imperative to do that.
James hates rasins, so I just put them on half. I should warn you though, it is super rich and sweet, so chocolate chips may push it over the edge…. which isn’t totally a bad thing…
AHHHHHHH. EASTER.
That’s all I have to say.
Totally the right response.
And next time we have a brunch party, I shall be making this again.
If I ever get to eat gluten again, I’m going to binge on this stuff. I love monkey bread.
According to NPR, most gluten allergies are not actually real, just the realization that healthy eating makes you feel better, and healthy eating generally means little bread/pasta/ etc.
Thus, maybe just leave out gluten all the time except…. for the rare monkey bread binge.
Because if you are going to be sick, it might as well be for monkey bread!
OR brats in a fresh bun…or cinnamon rolls…or brownies…or monkey bread. *sigh*
Happy Easter to you and your family, the monkey bread looks beautiful and delicious ^^
Happy (belated) Easter to you too! It was indeed!
Okay, so I have the cheap cable package, therefore, you ARE my reality show! = ) I simply love your postings, your life…and pretty soon, your MONKEY BREAD! Endless Blessings!
Thanks! : ) Stay tuned for tomorrow’s SUMMARY OF ALL FRENCH LITERATURE, as you might be one of the few to appreciate it!
And make this bread soon– it won’t let you down.
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