Recipe of the week 02/15/2010

by Ellie Weightman, adapted from Taste of Home. Original recipe can be found on tasteofhome.com "Caramel-Pecan Monkey Bread" (non-bread machine recipe)

FOR USE IN BREAD MACHINE - 2 LB CAPACITY

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Dough Ingredients:

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 pkg)
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups warm 2% milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar OR vanilla sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
4 1/4 cups bread flour OR All-purpose flour

Caramel Syrup:  (this can be doubled if you like it even more gooier)
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Assembly:
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 cup sugar OR vanilla sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

 In the bread pan, place the water, milk first.  Add the flour and follow with all remaining dough ingredients with the yeast the very last.  Start the machine using the basic dough cycle (typically 1 hour 50 minutes). 

When your dough is almost complete in the machine - make the caramel syrup.
 
Caramel Syrup:
In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and cream to a boil.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Pour half the syrup into a greased 10 inch fluted tube pan (do not use an angel food tube pan with a removable center or the syrup will run out).  Sprinkle half the nuts over the syrup in the bottom of the pan.

Remove your dough from the bread pan.  Punch dough down and shape into 40 balls (about 1 1/4 inch in diameter).  In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and sugar.  In another bowl, place the melted butter.   Dip the balls into the butter, then roll in sugar mixture.

Place 20 balls in the tube pan and top with the remaining caramel syrup and nuts.  Top with the remaining 20 balls.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 15-20 minutes while preheating oven to 350 degrees.  

There is a good chance the balls will rise over the top of the pan.  To safeguard this, place a sheet of foil under the pan when you place it in the oven, the falling balls will bake and still be good enough to eat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a serving plate.  

Leftovers:  microwave for 10-15 seconds and enjoy!

Optional:  add raisins with the nuts