Overnight Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Icing Glaze

 

Today is my hubby's 28th birthday.  While we don't usually make a big deal about breakfast in our house (neither of us eat breakfast at all most days), I like to plan a little something special on birthdays and special occasions.  I've been eyeing a Monkey Bread recipe from Jenny Steffens Hobick for a couple of months and was excited to give it a try for breakfast this morning.

I've made and enjoyed Monkey Bread in the past; however, growing up all the versions of Monkey Bread I ever encountered were made from canned biscuits.  They were certainly yummy, but there is a little something off-putting about the taste of most canned biscuits (metallic, bitter) that always bugs me a little bit.  I hadn't even heard of using yeast dough for Monkey Bread until I read Jenny's recipe, but I was utterly intrigued.

The fantastic thing about this recipe is it's so stinkin' easy and convenient.  You use frozen, uncooked yeast rolls for this recipe and all the prep can be done the evening before in about 15 minutes.  The bread is left to thaw and rise on the counter overnight and is perfectly puffed and ready for baking in the morning.  I decided to whip up a little Cream Cheese Icing Glaze (think Cinnabon) to top my bundt cake to make it a little more festive and also to add a little extra sweetness and flavor.  While the Monkey Bread is great on it's own, I think the glaze definitely adds something extra and is worth the effort.

If you do decide to make this Monkey Bread, make sure you give it plenty of time in the oven.  I made the mistake of pulling mine out a little too soon (the outside looked perfect, but the inside was still a little doughy).  Mine was gorgeous and tall right out of the pan but began to shrink a little bit as the undercooked dough flatted.  It was still yummy though, especially the pieces that finished baking.  I'm definitely going to be making this again soon (possibly for a little brunch party I'm hosting later this month) and am glad I found this new version of Monkey Bread to love!

Overnight Monkey Bread
via Jenny Steffens Hobick

24 rolls of frozen uncooked yeast rolls (Rhodes brand)
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 cup of light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray.  Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave.  In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll the frozen rolls in the butter, then in the sugar mixture.  Place the coated rolls neatly in the bundt pan.  Cover loosely with a clean towel or plastic wrap and leave in warm spot overnight to rise (about 8 hours).

The rolls should have doubled in size in the morning.  Bake the rolls on a sheet pan in a 350° oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.  Make sure to cook the monkey bread thoroughly.  The top pieces may appear down before the bottom has completely finished baking.  If needed, cover the top of the bread with foil to prevent burning during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.

Cream Cheese Icing Glaze
adapted from AllRecipes.com

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon whole milk

While the monkey bread is baking, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Once thoroughly combined, add a tablespoon of milk to reach a drizzling consistency.

Once the monkey bread is finished baking, allow it to cool in the pan for five minutes then invert it onto a serving plate.  Spoon, spread, pipe, or pour the icing glaze over the warm monkey bread, allowing the icing to melt and run down the sides of the bread.  You may not use all of the icing; add as much to your liking to the bread and serve any extra on the side for dipping.