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Monkey Bread

 Not to keep on tooting Pioneer Woman’s horn, but I must share with you another of her wonderful recipes.  Actually it isn’t her recipe, but from one of her contributors Pastor Ryan.

Now, this is all I had left after my company left but trust me it looked just like the photo on PW’s site when I took it out of the oven.  Just kidding, it looked a little like it, but smaller and not as gooey. I used a loaf pan instead of a bundt pan, if you want to fill a bundt pan double the whole recipe (dough included).  Mine also didn’t turn out as gooey because I made the mistake of dumping the extra sugar and cinnamon that was left over into the pan, soaking up the extra butter.

I will share with you what I did to make this Heavenly delight because I didn’t have all the ingredients I had to improvise.

Pastor Ryan calls for 3 cans of Biscuit dough, I didn’t and couldn’t find any.  So I made my own.

The recipe is from a 1950’s cookbook that my Mom has, she got it from my Grandmother who also made this biscuit dough.  But, normally we roll it out, stuff it with tuna and serve it with Bearnaise Sauce, but that is a recipe for another time.

Stir and Roll Biscuit Dough (so quick, it’s unbelievable)

Take 1 1/3 cups sifted flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup milk.   Sift dry ingredients togetehr into a bowl.  Pour oil and milk into a measuring cup, don’t stir.  Then, pour all at once into flour.  Stir with fork until mixture cleans sides of bowl.

BeachMama’s Version of Monkey Bread

Take your Stir and Roll Biscuit dough and form into a rectangle.  Using a sharp knife, cut into 1″cubes.  Set aside.

Into a large ziplock back pour 1/2 cup of white sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon.  Seal bag and shake until well mixed.

Add dough to back with cinnamon/sugar mix.  And shake until all of the dough is evenly coated.  Place coated pieces of dough in a loaf pan. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter, add 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  Stir until sugar is melted into the butter and the colour changes to one colour (I didn’t take pictures, but the photos on Pioneer Woman’s site show each step).   Once this mixture turns to one colour pour over the sugared dough in the loaf pan.  Ensure all pieces of dough are below the butter mixture.

Place in a 350 degree preheated oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. (mine took 35 minutes).  Let cool for five minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn out on to a plate.  Enjoy.

7 comments
Categories: Food, Recipes

Dearest Pioneer Woman,

I know this is not the usual way of writing a Thank You note, but be assured that there will be another one coming your way the old fashioned way.

I am not sure how to Thank You properly really, so bear with me while I stumble through.  I was first introduced to your website by Bakerella and her glorious cake pops.  I don’t make them right now because they go straight to my hips and if you see my Workout Wednesday posts, I am trying desperately to get rid of my extra baggage. When I first clicked over to your site from Bakerella I was immediately drawn in.  Your love of cooking, photography, decorating and renos is everything I love and more.  Oh yes, and you are a Mom and live on Ranch.  If Hubby had had his way years ago we would be living on a Farm and I would be sneezing my way through life.

I found it very interesting that you gave away prizes all the time.  At first I was very shy to enter, because I had just started stopping by and was getting to know you.  I didn’t feel that was fair to others who had been visiting your site for two and a half years.  But, when I realized that you had some 15,000 – 20, 000 people entering your contests, I started popping my name in here and there, but never in a millions years did I ever expect to see my name in the list of Winners.  Or Wieners as you like to call them sometimes.

Well, a few weeks ago, I entered your Kitchen-Aid Mixer contest because I wanted you to make Croques Monsieur for your guests who were meeting Smitten Kitchen.  Well you didn’t chose to make the Croques but, I did win a Mixer!  I know, how crazy is that? It took a little while to get here, but it arrived on Saturday morning by way of a very good looking delivery man.

You were expecting a photo of him weren’t you?  Didn’t think of that.

I chose Blue Willow, because my kitchen is blue and blue in my decor makes me happy.  I feel closer to the beach when I live in a blue world.

Fresh out of the box, look at that baby shine!

This is the Artisan Model, it is beautiful.  A large bowl (5 quart) with handle and spill guard with a pouring spout.  Just think of all I can make.

I planned and had the ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookies.  A favourite in my house, I figured Saturday morning was a good day for cookies.

And in action…

And the end result after all that mixing, more because it was new.

A boat load of cookies.

That were gone by Sunday morning.

I did give some away, but the rest were consumed by the four of us here chez BeachMama.  And today, I went for a run.  A long hard run.

Thank you so much for inspiring so many people, sharing your stories and recipes and photo tips. And for constantly being so generous towards your readers.  I never thought in a million years that I would ever win something, but I am truly grateful and I love it!

Thank you with all my heart,

BeachMama

11 comments
Categories: Contests, Food, Giveaway, Recipes, Workout Wednesday

The School Raffle Tomorrow.

 I think I mentioned in my post the other day that J saw this Beach Cake at my Aunt’s last summer.  I asked my Aunt so nicely if I could have the magazine and she graciously let me take it home.  When the notes started coming home about the Cake Raffle at school J didn’t even hesitate to ask demand that I make Aunty J’s cake for the raffle.

I started it two days ago and it is now finished.  Only one major mishap in that I think the Jello could have been a bit thicker before I poured it into the scooped out area as it started leaking through the wall of the cake.  I began to panic, took a photo…

 .. then grabbed the plastic wrap.  I was able to stabilize it long enough for it to set.  However, I did have to get some more icing re-tint it and carefully reapply it over the icing without destroying the sand.

This cake was surprisingly easy to make and if it weren’t for the fact that everything had to be peanut-free I would have had a few more decorations on it.

It came from the June 19th, 2007 issue of Woman’s Day.  I would be happy to share all the details with anyone who may want to make it in the future.

13 comments
Categories: Food, Fun Stuff to do with Kids, Recipes, The Beach