Tastes of the Season: Apple Monkey Bread (an original recipe)

I came up with this recipe after realizing that as a college student, it isn’t very easy to participate in holiday baking. A few years ago, while baking with my mom on a very short holiday break, I realized that biscuits would be the perfect substitute for a homemade bread dough in the typical monkey bread that people make around the holiday.

A few hours and one large array of dirty dishes later, I achieved exactly what I was looking for. An easy recipe for those who do not have a lot of extra time after all of the turkey baking this holiday season, this makes a beautiful addition to any holiday feast.

Apples can easily be substituted with any pie filling or a pumpkin purée.

Ingredients:

• 2 (10 pack) Pillsbury biscuits
• 1 pkg Philadelphia cream cheese
• ¾ cup sugar
• 4 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 (16oz) can sliced apples in water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Mix sugar, pumpkin pie spice and 2 tbsp cinnamon in a bowl, set aside.
3. Separate each biscuit and fill with about 1 tbsp of cream cheese. Fold biscuit to close cream cheese inside (make sure it is sealed completely) and form into small balls.
4. Roll each cream cheese filled biscuit in the dry sugar mixture and set in a small bundt pan lined with cooking spray.
5. In a small saucepan, combine apples (strained), 2 tbsp cinnamon, brown sugar and ¼ cup butter. Cook at a low heat until butter is fully melted and brown sugar is incorporated.
6. Pour apples over the biscuits and separate remaining of butter into 1 tbsp slices to place on top.
7. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes, or until biscuits are golden in color.

Extra Tip:

When baking, it is best to start off cooking your monkey bread for only 25 minutes and periodically check the process after that. Ovens vary in heat depending on the brand, age and elevation. This can be applied to anything you cook in the oven, not just baked goods.