Apple Cinnamon Mini Monkey Breads

All together these are a marvelous breakfast treat — warm and sweet from the oven, and good for eating on the go, or at a leisurely breakfast with family.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds prepared pizza dough OR 1 batch dough (below)
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup mixed dried fruit, such a mix of raisins, currants, and cranberries
• 2 small or 1 large apple, about 1/2 pound
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• Flour, for dusting the dough

For the glaze:

• 1 tablespoon cream or milk
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons
• 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar

Method:

Lightly mist a large piece of parchment or baking sheet with baking spray. Lay the dough out on it and pat into a roughly 2-inch-thick rectangle. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut it into 4 roughly equal pieces. Cut each of these into 12 lumps, for a total of about 48 dough lumps about the size of your thumb. Sprinkle flour over top of the dough pieces, cover with towel, and set aside while you prepare the monkey bread filling.

Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by lightly greasing the wells or lining with paper muffin cups.

To make the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan or the microwave. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and set aside to cool completely.

Roughly chop the dried fruit and place in a large bowl. Peel and core the apples, and grate them into the bowl with the dried fruit. Stir in the lemon zest as well as the brown sugar. Sprinkle the dough pieces again lightly with flour, to help keep them from sticking to each other, then toss them with the dried fruit, apples, and brown sugar. Pour the completely cooled melted butter into the bowl and stir to coat the pieces of dough.

Quickly scoop up handfuls of the dough and fruit mixture and place them in muffin cups (about 4 pieces to each cup). If there is any leftover butter in the bowl, pour this evenly over the monkey breads.

Set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 400°F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned on top and the insides register about 190°F on an instant read thermometer.

While they are baking, make the glaze. Warm the cream and honey in the microwave or in a small saucepan until the honey is dissolved. Whisk together with the lemon juice and powdered sugar until it forms a thick, creamy glaze.

Remove the monkey breads from the oven and drizzle the glaze over the tops. Serve warm.

Monkey Bread Dough

Makes 1 1/2 pounds of dough, enough for one batch of Monkey Bread

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 1 1/4 cup cold or lukewarm water

Mix the yeast with the flour and salt in a large bowl. Slowly mix in the oil and water. Knead for 5 to 7 minutes by hand or with the dough hook of a stand mixer, until the dough is smooth, stretchy, and pliable. Proceed with Monkey Bread recipe (above).

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