Babka-ish Monkey Bread Recipe

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 5-inch metal loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

To make the monkey bread

Pour the 4 tablespoons melted and cooled butter into a large resealable plastic bag. Pop the dough out of the tube and use a pair of kitchen shears to cut each biscuit into six wedges. As you cut, toss all the cut biscuit dough in the bag. Once you’re done giving the biscuits a haircut, seal up the bag and shake it.

Add 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt into the bag and shake again, vigorously. Cover the bottom of the metal loaf pan with half of the sugar-covered biscuit pieces and evenly sprinkle with ½ cup chopped chocolate and ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt. Add the rest of the biscuits and apply mild pressure to even out the top. (Too much pressure, and the sauce won’t be able to get in all the nooks and crannies.) If you have extra sugar left in the bag, shake it on top. (Why the heck not?)

To make the sauce

In a small skillet, melt 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt, and whisk continuously, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes together, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1½ tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pour the saucy deliciousness evenly over the monkey bread. Tilt the pan around to make sure the sauce is fully covering the top, as this is the glue that holds your bread together. Bake until the top is golden brown and glassy and the inside is cooked through, roughly 30 to 40 minutes. If you’re unsure if it’s cooked, slide a cake tester or a toothpick into the center; if it comes out clean (aside from a smear of melted chocolate), it’s done! Top right away with the remaining ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt. Your kitchen should now smell like an old-fashioned doughnut shop. You’re welcome.

Let the monkey bread rest in the pan for 20 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges to make sure the bread isn’t adhering to the pan and then use the wings of the parchment paper to lift it out onto a plate. Remove the parchment and serve warm.

Timing

You want this friend warm from the oven, but you can still feel free to assemble up to a day in advance and store in the fridge. Take it out an hour before baking and then toss it in the oven while enjoying dinner.

 

Cook With Natasha

Two more recipes from The Dinner Party Project for AARP members to try:

Perfect Seared Rib Eye

This steak recipe is low-stress and tastes professional. Try it with either the Pistachio-Date Salsa Verde Sauce or Bistro Compound Butter.

A Very Adult Salad (a.k.a. Grapies and Greenies)

Sometimes you just want a salad that seems fancy, and this salad seems fancy.

Read About Natasha Feldman's cookbook, The Dinner Party Project.