Monkey Bread

Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

## Ingredients

* 1 and 1/4 cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 4 cans ***(7.5 ounce tube)*** unbaked refrigerated biscuits ***(I used Pillsbury)***
* 1 cup chopped nuts of your choice ***(optional)***
* 1 cup chocolate chips ***(optional)*** ***(that's a 6-ounce size bag)***
* 1/2 cup salted butter ***(1 stick, 4 ounces, 1/4 pound***

**Hannah's 1st Note: If you prefer, you can use 16.3 ounce tubes of Pillsbury Grands. If you do this, buy only 2 tubes. They are larger--you will use half a tube for each layer.**

**Tony's Note: If you use chocolate chips and/or nuts, place them between each biscuit layer.**

## **Directions**

* Spray the inside of a Bundt pan with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Set your prepared pan on a drip pan just in case the butter overflows. Then you won't have to clean your oven.
* Mix the white sugar and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl. ***(I used a fork to mix it up so that the cinnamon was evenly distributed).***
* Open 1 can of biscuits at a time and break or cut them into quarters. You want bite-size pieces.
* Roll the pieces in the cinnamon and sugar mixture, and place them in the bottom of the Bundt pan.
* Sprinkle one-third of the chopped nuts and one-third of the chocolate chips on top of the layer, if you decided to use them.
* Open the second can of biscuits, quarter them, roll them in the cinnamon and sugar, and place them on top of the first layer. ***(If you used Pillsbury Grands, you'll do this with the remainder of the first tube.)***
* Sprinkle on half of the remining nuts and chocolate chips, if you decided to use them.
* Repeat with the third can of biscuits ***(or the rest of the Grands)***. Sprinkle on the remainder of the nuts and chocolate chips, if you decided to use them.
* Repeat with the fourth can of biscuits ***(or the rest of the Grands)*** to make a top layer in your Bundt pan.
* Melt the butter and the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture in a microwave safe bowl on HIGH for 45 seconds. Give it a final stir and pour it over the top of your Bundt pan.
* Bake your Monkey Bread at 350 Degrees F. for 40 to 45 minutes, or until nice and golden on top.
* Take the Bundt pan out of the oven and let it cool on a cold burner or a wire rack for 10 minutes while you find a plate that will fit over the top of the Bundt pan.
* Using potholders or oven mitts, invert the plate over the top of the Bundt pan and turn it upside down to unmold your delicious Monkey Bread.
* To serve, you can cut this into slices like Bundt cake, but it's more fun to just let people pull off pieces with their fingers.

* **Hannah's 2nd Note: if you'd like to make Caramel Monkey Bread, use only 3/4 cup of white sugar. Mix it with the cinnamon the way you'd do if it was the full amount of white sugar. At the very end when you melt the butter with the leftover cinnamon and sugar mixture, add 3/4 cup of brown sugar to the bowl before you put it in the microwave. Pour that hot mixture over the top of your Bundt pan before baking and it will form a luscious caramel topping when you unmold your Monkey Bread.**

* **Hannah's 3rd Note: I don't know why this is called "Monkey Bread". Norman thinks it has something to do with the old story about the monkey that couldn't get his hand out of the hole in the tree because he wouldn't let go of the nut he was holding in his fist. Mike thinks it's because monkeys eat with their hands and  you can pull this bread apart and eat it with your hands. Mother says it's because monkeys are social animals and you can put this bread in the center of the table and everyone can sit around it and eat. Tracey says it's because it's a cute name. Bethie doesn't care. She just wants to eat it.**