Cheater Caramel Monkey Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You can use a monkey bread pan, a Bundt pan, or a coffeecake pan. Grease the pan.
• Melt the cube of butter in a small saucepan. Pour 2 Tablespoons into the bottom of your pan. Add 3 Tbsp. of the chopped nuts, sprinkled over. Set aside.
• In the saucepan with the remaining butter, put the brown sugar, the rest of the chopped nuts and 1 Tbsp of water.( I also put 1 Tbsp. of cream to make it more caramel-ish, but thats optional.) Then add your cinnamon. Melt this all together until bubbly, simmer for 1 minute, stirring.
• Open the tubes of crescent rolls. Enjoy the 'POP' of the roll as you press the spoon to the paper edge. Cut each roll in half. Then cut each half into 5 pieces. Before separating, cut the whole thing in half down the middle. Now repeat with other roll. Place 1 tube of rolls into the bottom of the pan over the butter and nuts. It might not all fit, its okay.
• Pour half the caramel sauce over the roll pieces. Lay the remaining pieces over the pan, tucking extras in with a little push. Pour the remaining sauce and nuts over, scraping the bowl with a nylon scraper. Get every last drop. Pop into the oven and set timer for 20 minutes.
• Check it, maybe rotate it. Give it another 10 minutes. It needs to be pretty dark (not burnt) on top because the rolls underneath need to bake too. Once its toasty brown, remove from oven, wait impatiently about 2-3 minutes to let it settle a bit, then invert onto a large plate or baking sheet. Carefully and slowly remove pan.

Steps:

• For the monkey bread: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
• Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the biscuit pieces and toss to combine.
• Place the pieces in the pan, sprinkling in the dates, raisins and walnuts. Set aside.
• Add the brown sugar and butter to a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until the butter has melted and started to bubble, then add the heavy cream and salt and whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Remove from the heat and pour over the dough pieces in the Bundt pan. Put the pan into the oven and bake until golden brown and no longer doughy in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn upside down on a large platter to remove the pan.
• Slice while warm, drizzled with the salted caramel sauce and dollops of whipped cream.

Steps:

• Make the brioche: Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed to combine. Add the milk and eggs and mix until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium; start adding the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more, about 5 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue to mix until the dough is glossy and slightly tacky but not sticky, about 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Make the caramel: Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling the pan but not stirring, until dark amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Let cool to room temperature.
• Assemble the monkey bread: Coat a 15-cup bundt pan with cooking spray. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Put the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Slice the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a 9- to 10-inch-long log. Slice each log into roughly 10 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball, dusting the surface with more flour as needed. Pour about half of the caramel into the bundt pan.
• Working in batches, coat 20 dough balls in the butter, letting the excess drip off, then roll in the cinnamon sugar and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Drizzle the remaining caramel on top. Repeat with the remaining 20 dough balls, melted butter and cinnamon sugar, then arrange in the bundt pan. Set aside until the dough is slightly puffed, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Place the bundt pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the monkey bread is dark golden brown on top, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a platter.

Steps:

• Beat 1 cup butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed until butter is smooth and pliable but still cold, about 1 minute. Scrape into a medium bowl; set aside. Save mixer bowl because you're going to use it again in a minute (no need to wash).
• Gently heat milk in a small saucepan over low until warm to the touch but not steaming hot. It should be 110°F-115°F. Whisk milk and yeast in a small bowl to dissolve yeast, then let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, and salt in reserved mixer bowl to combine. Add yeast mixture and eggs, fit bowl back onto mixer, and beat on low speed with dough hook, gradually increasing mixer speed to medium as dry ingredients are incorporated, until dough comes together around hook. Continue to mix on medium speed until dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Add more flour by the tablespoonful as needed if dough isn't pulling away from bowl cleanly.
• With motor running, gradually add reserved butter about a tablespoonful at a time, waiting until it is absorbed before adding more. This process can take several minutes, so be patient. When you're done adding the butter, the dough will be extremely smooth, soft, and supple but not sticky. Place dough in a large buttered bowl and cover. Let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until nearly doubled in size, 55-65 minutes.
• Uncover dough and punch down several times to deflate. Line a 13x9" baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving generous overhang on all sides. Place dough in pan and press into an even layer, working all the way to the sides of the pan. Fold plastic up and over dough, eliminating air pockets between dough and plastic. Chill dough in freezer until firm to the touch, 20-30 minutes.
• Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl to combine. Lightly brush tube pan with butter. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, tapping out excess; set aside. Remove dough from freezer and peel back plastic. Brush entire surface with melted butter and sprinkle generously with some cinnamon sugar. Shake excess sugar back into bowl, then invert baking pan and turn out dough onto work surface sugar side down. Remove plastic; discard. Brush other side of dough with butter and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Use a pizza cutter or a chef's knife to cut dough into a 12x6 grid.
• Working relatively quickly so dough doesn't become too soft, separate pieces and, working one at a time, roll lightly between your palms into balls, dusting with more cinnamon sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Place in prepared tube pan as you go. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until pieces have swelled to nearly doubled in size, 40-50 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° a little before monkey bread is ready to bake.
• Remove plastic from pan and bake monkey bread until golden brown, 25-35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then use a small offset spatula to loosen monkey bread from sides of pan. Pull bottom out from pan and use spatula to loosen bread from bottom. Slide bread back into pan; invert onto a plate and remove pan. Place a wire rack over bread and invert right side up onto rack. If using a Bundt pan, just invert directly onto wire rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Pour about 1/2 cup caramel sauce over monkey bread if desired. Serve with more sauce alongside for dipping.
• Do Ahead
• Dough can be made 1 day ahead. After punching down, pat into plastic-lined pan and chill in refrigerator instead of freezer.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan.
• Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each in quarters.
• Shake biscuit pieces in bag to coat; place in pan. Sprinkle any extra sugar mixture over biscuits.
• In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar to boiling over medium-high heat; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over biscuit pieces.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown and cooked through in center. Cool 5 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.