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.

New Items in my Etsy Shop!

Prancing Peacock Necklace

Minted Bracelet

Butterfly Bobby Pins

In the Garden Necklace

In the Garden of Whimsy Necklace

Green with Envy Bracelet

Of Pearls and Bows Cameo Necklace

In the Garden Necklace

Quiet Beauty Necklace {Sold}

It's been a while, but I've started updating my Etsy shop again.  I finally have a setup that I'm happy with, which makes taking photos for my shop much easier and more enjoyable than before.  I'm trying to jump full force into my jewelry business this fall and I hope to have my shop full of items, with consistent new listings at least a couple of times a week, by the beginning of November.

I have a few art/craft shows lined up over the coming months as well, and I'll be sharing those dates on the blog soon for any local folks who might be interested.

It feels good to be back in the swing of things!

September 2013 Julep Maven {Modern Beauty}

The September Julep Maven box was "inspired by bright lights and bold dreams."  While many of the polishes from the September boxes looked pretty, they appeared similar to shades I already had in my collection.  Instead of polish this month, I was tempted by the two beauty products included in the month's Modern Beauty box.

The September Modern Beauty Julep Maven box included a Bare Face Cleansing Oil and a Blank Canvas Mattifying Face Primer.  As someone with oily skin, I was curious to test out the primer and I was also really excited to try my first cleansing oil.  I couldn't resist ordering a box this month.

The Bare Face Cleansing Oil retails for $28.00/3.5 oz.  "This lightweight, antioxidant-rich cleanser gently and thoroughly dissolves makeup, dirt, and excess oil without over-drying skin, then rinses clean with no oily residue.  Recommended for all skin types."

I found the texture and scent of this cleansing oil to be incredibly pleasant.  The oil itself is very emollient feeling and has a subtle citrus scent.  I found that it did a great job at removing face makeup and most eye makeup, but it didn't completely remove waterproof or water-resistent mascara (such as Benefit's They're Real).  It does rinse completely clean with a little warm water, leaving the skin very comfortable with no oily residue and no tightness.  I will continue to use and enjoy this cleansing oil; however, I do recommend using a separate eye makeup remover when removing especially long-lasting mascaras.

The Blank Canvas Mattifying Primer retails for $28.00/1 oz.  "This age-defying primer creates a smooth, even canvas for gorgeous makeup that lasts all day."

I've tested this primer out a few times since receiving my box.  Unfortunately, thus far, I've yet to be even mild impressed with it's mattifying abilities.  I don't find that this mattifies my skin at all (not even upon initial application) and does nothing to help absorb excess shine throughout the day.  I will continue to test it out a little further, trying it out in combination with different moisturizers and foundations to see if there is some magical pairing that will make this primer shine.  Compared to something like the BECCA Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector, it just doesn't deliver.

Overall, the September Julep Maven Modern Beauty box was a little hit and miss for me.  Thus far I'm generally enjoying the Bare Face Cleansing Oil but find the Blank Canvas Mattifying Face Primer to be a disappointment.

The Julep Maven boxes retail for $29.99/month and are guaranteed to include at least $40 in product.  The retail value of my September Modern Beauty box was $56.00.

If you're interested in signing up for Julep Maven, you can get your first box free by entering the code "FREEBOX" during checkout.  You are free to cancel at anytime, but my favorite aspect of the Maven program is that each month you are able to preview your box and you may choose to skip any given month to avoid paying for that month's box.  The program is pretty much risk-free.  I've been a very happy subscriber since the program launched.