Fluffernutter Monkey Bread

My guess is that a few of you are wondering what the heck a fluffernutter is, and possibly even what makes something monkey bread. If that is the case, let me get you up to speed with some delicious foods. Monkey bread is a pull apart bread made up of small balls of bread dough rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar and baked in a bundt pan. During the cooking process the sugar and butter between the bread pieces melt and carmelize and the finished product is an ooey gooey, delicious pull apart bread that is nearly impossible to stop eating.

A fluffernutter, on the other hand is a sandwich made with peanut butter and Fluff (brand name for marshmallow creme). It's a proud tradition on the East Coast where I grew up, and it wasn't until I went to school in the west that I realized that not everyone had faithfully packed them in their lunches in elementary school. Even now when I eat one it reminds me of Little House on the Prairie books, playing in our treehouse and summer vacations. Peanut butter provides the salty and the marshmallow creme provides the sweet and together it is a completely addictive combination.

Especially in a monkey bread.

I was playing around with some bread dough ideas and found a peanut butter yeast dough that I really liked. It was rich enough that I starting thinking of ways I could pair it with something sweet, so I decided to try it in a monkey bread.

I though that marshmallow creme would be the perfect sauce or glaze for a peanut butter monkey bread, but I wasn't sure how I'd get the marshmallow creme in there. However, I also knew that cooked marshmallows melt into sweet, sticky goodness in baked products, so I threw them in with the dough.

Layer of marshmallows . . .

Layer of dough balls . . . 

More marshmallows, more dough balls and so on. 

Surprisingly enough, it worked. The marshmallows dissolved but the finished product stayed together with a layer of melted marshmallow throughout it. 

To give it more marshmallow flavor, I made a glaze and poured it on top.

And then made myself sick eating it.

Ooey gooey success.

Fluffernutter Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

Dough

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup warm milk

1/2 cup warm water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 package instant yeast

3 1/2 cups flour 

1 tsp salt

Sugar coating

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

2-3 cups mini marshmallows

Glaze

2 cups mini marshmallows

1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Whisk the milk, water, peanut butter, granulated sugar and yeast together in a medium bowl. In the bowl of a standing mixer, stir together flour and salt using a dough hook. Slowly add the peanut butter mixture. Once the dough has come together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is shiny and smooth, about 6 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double, about 50-60 minutes. 

2. Punch down the dough and place on a clean, lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half with a knife or bench scraper, and then divide again and again until you have 64 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, dip in melted butter and roll in granulated sugar. 

3. Lightly spray a 10-12 cup bundt pan with cooking spray and put about a cup of mini marshmallows in the bottom of the bundt pan. Layer a row of dough balls on top of the marshmallows, then another layer of marshmallows followed by a layer of dough balls until all the dough is used. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 40-50 minutes. The dough should rise an inch or so about the edge of the pan.

4. Heat oven to 350 and bake the monkey bread until the top is deep brown and sugar mixture coating the dough is melted and bubbling, about 35-40 minutes. (I usually cover mine with foil after 20 minutes so that the top won't burn until the middle is cooked. 

5. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, and turn out onto a plate and let cool about 10 minutes. 

6. Make the glaze by heating the marshmallows with milk, stirring to combine. Pour over monkey bread and serve warm. (You could be civil and cut into slices if you want, or just let people dig in with their hands.) 

Recipe source: HeatOvenTo350

Posted in: Breakfast, Dessert