Salted Monkey Balls Food

THE BEST MONKEY BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Grease a large, 12 cup bundt pan with softened butter, use about 3 tablespoons or so.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer add the warm milk, water, sugar, butter, and yeast. Mix to combine. Let mixture sit for 5 minutes, then add the flour and salt. Using the dough hook mix on low speed. Once the dough comes together increase the speed to medium and mix for 6-8 minutes. The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl, should be tacky but not sticky, shiny and smooth.
• Transfer the dough to a large lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough over once so that the top of the dough is lightly covered in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• While the dough is rising, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl, stir to combine. Place the melted butter in a separate small bowl.
• To form the balls: Remove the dough from the bowl and pat it into an 8 inch square. Cut the square into 64 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
• Roll the balls, one at a time, into the butter and then roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the sugar coated balls in the bundt pan, layering, staggering, and filling in the gaps as you go.
• Once all dough balls have been dipped in the butter and sugar mixture and then placed into the bundt pan, COVER the bundt pan with plastic wrap and let rise for 45-60 minutes or until puffy. (The dough should rise and be just 1 inchesfrom the top).
• Unwrap the bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and deep brown in color. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes(no longer!!!) then turn out onto a platter. Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour the glaze overtop.
• To make the glaze: whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and a splash of vanilla in a large liquid measuring cup.

SALTED MONKEY BALLS

Steps:

• 1. in a stand mixer, blend bananas and peanut butter. Add powdered sugar. Mix well. It will still be kinda sticky.
• 2. Using a small (1oz) cookie scoop, scoop balls. Place 1 inch apart onto parchment lined cookie sheets that fit in your freezer. Balls will spread slightly.
• 3. Freeze for 2-3 hrs.
• 4. Reshape balls by rolling between your palms. Replace onto parchment/cookie sheets, return to freezer for 24 hrs. Balls must be completely frozen before dipping. If not, they'll melt in the chocolate and leave bits ruining the smooth finish of the chocolate.
• 5. Melt chocolate in double boiler.
• 6. Work quickly and in small batches. Leave most balls in the freezer until ready for them. Use a toothpick to gently pick one ball and dip into chocolate. Use a spoon to cover the top. Gently jiggle the ball to assist excess chocolate to drip off. (Too much and it'll pool below the ball.) Place on another parchment/cookie sheet. Sprinkle a small amount of kosher salt. Leave the toothpick in while you dip/sprinkle the next ball.
• 7. Back to the ball before, gently twist the toothpick out.
• 8. With the clean end of a toothpick (or fresh one) take a small dab of melted chocolate and seal the hole. Sprinkle more salt if you like.
• 9. Note: If you don't seal it, the filling with "worm" its way out. Repeat steps 6-8 until all balls are coated.
• 10. Once the chocolate is set, transfer balls into a sealable container. Place in fridge for 2-3 hrs.

MONKEY BALLS RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, water and sugar and let set about five minutes until the yeast is activated. Mix in the milk, butter, egg and salt, and begin adding the flour in about 1/2 c (71 g) increments until it hold together. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead about fifteen minutes, adding more flour as needed. Place into a well-oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. Make filling (below) while the dough rises. After the dough has risen, dump it onto a lightly floured surface. Gently flatten the dough with your fingers to redistribute the air slightly. Pinch off a walnut-sized ball of dough, then flatten into a round. Fill with about a 1/2 tsp of filling (below) or sprinkle the center with cinnamon and sugar. Fold up edges into a ball shape, pinching seams to seal. Set on a lightly floured tray and cover. Repeat until all of the dough is gone, then place the formed monkey balls in the fridge overnight, or at least 8 hours. After the dough has rested, place it in an cool oven, along with a small boiling pan of water. Wait half an hour for the dough to warm and rise slightly. Meanwhile, heat oil to 365F (185C) and prepare a cooling rack by resting it upside down on a pile of paper towels to soak up excess oil. After dough has risen for the final time, gently move two or three at a time to the hot oil. Fry about a minute on each side, then remove to cooling rack over towels, flipping after about 15 seconds to a clean area. Allow to cool slightly, then enjoy! Monkey Ball Filling It's completely fine to simply fill the balls with a dry mix of cinnamon and sugar, but I used the following combination. What can I say - I was channeling my inner Paula Dean! 1/4 c (59 g) butter, softened 2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 c (36 g) brown sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla Beat the butter until slightly aerated and add the cinnamon and brown sugar. Beat until light, about five minutes, then add the vanilla. Whip briefly to combine, then use.

SALTED CARAMEL MONKEY BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
• Generously grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter; set aside. (NOTE: It's important to thoroughly grease all of the little cracks and crevices of the Bundt pan, especially at the bottom where all of the sticky caramel gathers as the cake bakes. The better you grease your pan, the easier it will be to extract the cake when you're ready to serve.).
• Remove biscuit dough from packaging and separate into individual biscuits. Tear each biscuit into 3 pieces and use your hands to roll them into balls.
• Working in batches of 3 or 4 at a time, drop dough balls in the bag of the cinnamon mixture; seal bag and shake until dough is coated. Arrange dough in greased Bundt pan and repeat process with remaining balls. (Alternatively, if the dough starts sticking to together in the bag, you can dip the dough balls int one at a time to ensure they're thoroughly coated with sugar and cinnamon.) Set aside while you make the sauce.
• In a medium saucepan, melt both sticks of butter over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar, heavy cream, and 1 tsp of sea salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continuously whisk ingredients for about 3-4 minutes, until mixture is well-combined and the brown sugar is completely dissolved. (NOTE: Salted Caramel Sauce can be made in advance and chilled for up to 2-3 days. When you're ready to use it, just microwave sauce for 30 seconds to restore it's syrup-like consistency).
• Remove saucepan from heat and carefully pour 2 cups of the warm caramel sauce over the dough balls in the Bundt pan; save the remaining sauce for serving.
• Transfer Bundt pan to oven and bake the monkey bread for about 30 minutes, or until the bread is puffy and golden brown.
• Remove Bundt pan from oven and allow to rest for no more than 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate or cake stand (with a plate underneath it to catch any sticky drippings).
• Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over the monkey bread. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste just before serving (optional).

MONKEY CHEESE BALL

Steps:

• Soften the cream cheese in your mixer or food processor.
• Add salt, roasted garlic and thyme and beat until well blended.
• Stir inn the chopped up banana, green onion and cheddar cheese.
• Blend in 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
• Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Shape into ball and roll in the remaining walnuts.
• Decorate with fresh thyme leaves if you like.
• Serve and enjoy.

HOMEMADE MONKEY BREAD

Steps:

• Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
• Add the eggs, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. *If you do not own a mixer, you can mix this dough with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle!*
• Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 2 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes.
• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
• Generously grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray. (Nonstick spray is best for this recipe.)
• Melt 1/2 cup (115g;1 stick) of unsalted butter in a medium bowl. Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon together in another medium bowl. You will use the rest of the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla later.
• Use the video tutorial above as a guide for this step. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Working one at a time, take small pieces of dough and roll into balls (about 1.25 inches in diameter each). You will need 40-45 balls total, so be modest with their size. Dip each ball, one by one, in the melted butter and then generously roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat them. You may need more cinnamon-sugar depending how heavy you coat each ball. Arrange the balls in the Bundt pan as you go. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel and allow the shaped monkey bread to rest for 20 minutes. The balls will slightly rise during this time.
• Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It's best to bake the monkey bread towards the bottom of the oven so the top doesn't burn.)
• Melt remaining 1/4 cup (60g; 4 Tbsp) butter, then whisk in the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Pour evenly all over the shaped monkey bread.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cover loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Cool for 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a large serving plate or cake stand.
• Whisk all of the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over monkey bread. Cut the bread into generous slices or let everyone pick off the gooey pieces themselves. That's the fun of this treat!
• Monkey bread tastes best served on the same day. Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for 1 day and in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

CARAMEL MONKEY BREAD

Steps:

• Make the brioche: Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed to combine. Add the milk and eggs and mix until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium; start adding the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more, about 5 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue to mix until the dough is glossy and slightly tacky but not sticky, about 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Make the caramel: Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling the pan but not stirring, until dark amber, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Let cool to room temperature.
• Assemble the monkey bread: Coat a 15-cup bundt pan with cooking spray. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Put the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Slice the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a 9- to 10-inch-long log. Slice each log into roughly 10 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball, dusting the surface with more flour as needed. Pour about half of the caramel into the bundt pan.
• Working in batches, coat 20 dough balls in the butter, letting the excess drip off, then roll in the cinnamon sugar and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Drizzle the remaining caramel on top. Repeat with the remaining 20 dough balls, melted butter and cinnamon sugar, then arrange in the bundt pan. Set aside until the dough is slightly puffed, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Place the bundt pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the monkey bread is dark golden brown on top, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a platter.

HERBED MONKEY BREAD

Steps:

• On low speed, combine 2½ cups flour, sugar, yeast, salt and rosemary in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Gradually add milk and beat until a shaggy dough is formed.
• Switch to dough hook attachment and knead on medium speed for 3 minutes. If dough is too sticky, beat in remaining ¼ cup flour, 1 tbsp at a time, until dough is smooth. Add 1 tbsp butter and continue kneading until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Shape dough into a log. Cut log into 24 pieces. Roll pieces into balls and cover with plastic wrap.
• Melt ¼ cup butter in a small saucepan. Stir in garlic, parsley and oregano. Transfer butter mixture to a heatproof bowl and let stand for 2 minutes.
• Toss each dough ball with butter mixture, turning to coat, and place into a greased 8½x4½ inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper that overhangs by 2 inches. Sprinkle loaf with parmesan cheese. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Bake, rotating pan after 15 minutes, until browned, about 30 - 35 minutes.
• Remove loaf from pan and cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.