Gorilla Bread

I'm assuming that most people have either had monkey bread, or have at least heard of it. If not, you're totally missing out. And here's your chance to try something like it, but even better. This Gorilla Bread is like a kicked-up version of monkey bread. Way more fattening. Way more filling. Way more tasty.

The bread was selected for this week's installment of the group My Girl, Paula. I'm happy... and slightly embarrassed... but mainly happy... to say that when we were asked for suggestions of what we should choose from Paula's book to make this month, it was ME who suggested this one. The most buttery, sugary, cream cheese-ey, heart attack inducing selection. Yep, that was me.


This Gorilla Bread was really outstanding. It totally puts monkey bread to shame. It's made very similarly, with the store-bought cans of rolls smothered in seasonings and baked up in a bundt pan. But with this one, you insert a square of cream cheese in the center of each roll before putting it into the pan to bake. And you pour a brown sugar/butter mixture over top of it. The recipe also calls for nuts, which I omitted, though they sure would have been pretty on top.

Here's a picture of it still in the pan, waiting to be taken out and completely devoured.

The bread is perfect for breakfast or dessert and is easily reheated the next day to enjoy leftovers. My hubby really liked it with his coffee in the mornings. And I liked it at pretty much any time of the day. Very delicious!


Gorilla Bread
(from Paula Deen)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside.

3. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese.

4. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts.

5. Bake for 30 minutes (Mine needed a tad bit longer to cook all the way through). Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

Makes 12 to 14 servings.