Welcome!

Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Monday, August 12, 2013

Cream Cheese Monkey Bread

The very first time I heard of Monkey Bread was back in the late 70's. My BFF from high school was visiting town and she made it for some of us. I have to say....deee-lish! And so easy. My friend and I loved to go to "new and exciting places" as we put it. I think the most exciting place we went to was the restaurant on the top floor of a department store in Tucson and we'd order Grasshopper Pie. So good! I like to think we've evolved a bit more and have expanded our horizons and now go to better "new and exciting places". Good friends are hard to find and I'm proud to that say Crystal and I are still buddies! You should try this Monkey Bread. I bet it would taste better with a friend.

Crystal's Cream Cheese 
Monkey Bread




1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 8-ounce pack cream cheese
3 cans biscuit dough
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter ~ melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans ~ optional

Spray a fluted bundt pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the melted butter and brown sugar. And the pecans, if using. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Working with one can of dough at a time, cut each biscuit in half.

Stretch it out a little bit.

Place about 1 teaspoon or so of cream cheese onto the biscuit.

Sprinkle with some cinnamon/sugar.

Close the biscuit around the filling, pinching to close.

Place into the bundt pan, seam side down.

Repeat with all ingredients, working your way around the pan then layering. (The biscuit balls will be about halfway up the sides of the pan.)

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until nicely browned and done in the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for about 10 minutes.

Place a large plate or serving dish on top of the pan.

Holding the bottom of the pan with the plate firmly on top, quickly flip the Monkey Bread out of the pan onto the plate.

All the brown sugar goodness should trickle down into all the nooks and crannies of the bread.

Eat while still warm.


Here's what you'll need. I used ONE box of cream cheese and THREE cans of biscuits.
Here's what you'll need. I used ONE box of cream cheese and THREE cans of biscuits.


Combine the melted butter and the brown sugar.
Combine the melted butter and the brown sugar.


Pour it into the bottom of your pan.
Pour it into the bottom of your pan.


Combine the cinnamon and sugar.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar.


Cut each biscuit in half and stretch it out a bit.
Cut each biscuit in half and stretch it out a bit.


Then add a dab of cream cheese.
Then add a dab of cream cheese.


Then some cinnamon/sugar.
Then some cinnamon/sugar.


Pinch the biscuit closed.
Pinch the biscuit closed.


Then place it in the pan, seam side down.
Then place it in the pan, seam side down.


Continue until all the ingredients are used.
Continue until all the ingredients are used.


Bake!
Bake!


Then flip it out/over onto a serving plate.
Then flip it out/over onto a serving plate.


Then eat!!!
Then eat!!!