Monkey Bread Deluxe

I tried a new recipe for "Gorilla Bread" that was based off of one from Paula Deen. It sounded awesome in theory... basically it's monkey bread but each piece of bread is filled with cream cheese. How was it in practice? Eh.

I did it in a 9-inch round pan and cut the recipe in half since I was just trying it and didn't want to do a whole one.

The recipe said to take each biscuit (refrigerated) and press it out and put a block of cream cheese in the center with some cinnamon sugar. Then you sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top, then top it all with a melted butter and brown sugar mixture.

I baked it, pulled it out and found that it was... ok, but the pieces were just too big. When I tried it, I thought that the cream cheese needed to be sweetened. Simply sprinkling the cinnamon sugar in the center with the cream cheese didn't do the trick.

So, for the next time, here's the recipe I'll use:

1 can of refrigerated biscuits (10 count)

1/2 pkg cream cheese

3 Tbsp white sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

*chopped pecans to sprinkle (the original recipe called for walnuts but I think pecans will taste better, use whatever you want... or none at all!)

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3 Tbsp white sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

Turn your oven to 350. Grease a round 9" pan, and then sprinkle the bottom with chopped pecans (optional).

Mix the cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon together, set aside. Mix together the second set of sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Separate the biscuits and cut them each in half. Press them out with your fingers into an oval shape.

Fill each piece of dough with a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Press the dough closed around the cream cheese, roll in cinnamon sugar and place in the pan. Repeat until all the dough is used. Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar over the dough balls.

In a small pan, melt the butter and brown sugar together and pour over the dough balls.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until the balls look baked through. Let the pan cool for about 5 minutes, then turn it over on a plate. Enjoy warm.

*If you double this recipe, bake it in a bundt pan.

**Disclaimer: I have not yet made this new recipe but I'm planning on it later this week and will post my findings. Just from my experience with the recipe I WAS using, I think these changes will be better.

Cooking is all about experimenting and finding what works for you and your family. Do things need more salt? More sugar? No mushrooms? Add some spice? Cut it in half for a smaller family? Nothing about it is an exact science, but I love trying new things.