APRICOT PINEAPPLE MONKEY BREAD
BREAD*
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup minced walnuts
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
TOPPING
20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, super firmly packed
1/2 cup apricot pineapple preserves**
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2+ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/4 cup rum (optional)
- Soften the yeast in the warm water.
- Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
- Soak the raisins in the rum until needed. Drain WELL before adding to the bread.
- Combine the milk, shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
- Add yeast to milk mixture and then the eggs, the raisins and nuts.
- Add the flour. Mix to a soft dough.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Turn over once, cover with a cheesecloth and let rise until double in size.
- Punch down and let stand ten minutes.
- Prepare the topping while the dough is standing.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Add the preserves, brown sugar, cinnamon and almond extract. Cook until smooth and fairly thin.
- Add the pineapple (and raisins if you’re using refrigerator rolls) and heat through.
- Roll into many small balls about the size of golf balls.
- Grease a Bundt cake pan. (I like to use my pineapple upside down cake pan.
- Arrange a layer of the balls haphazardly in the cake pan.
- Dribble about half the topping loosely over them.
- Arrange the other half of the dough balls.
- Pour remaining sauce over top.
- Allow to rise until double in size (about 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
- Enjoy
NOTE 1*: You can cheat and use 3 cans of refrigerator biscuits instead if you’re in a hurry.
NOTE 2**: You can use pretty much any flavor you want – I also use raspberry, peach and blackberry depending on my mood. A lot of times I combine the peach and blackberry half and half.