pumpkin monkey bread

Need or want to score some major brownie points with your family? Then I suggest making this pumpkin monkey bread! I made this Christmas morning for my family and although the process took about 2 1/2 hrs (yikes), it was well worth it because it tastes as good as it looks and everyone was oohing and ahhing :) Don't feel intimated by the process. It's fool proof so long as you follow the directions. Hope everyone had a merry merry Christmas day!

Side note: I adapted the recipe from Tracy of Sugar Crafter and 

changed a few of the ingredients to make it vegan friendly 

What you'll need...

 for the dough:

- 3 1/4 cups flour, plus extra for kneading (I used whole wheat flour, but you can use white as well)

- 1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg

- 1/8 tsp ground cloves

- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I used vegan butter by Earth Balance)

- 1/2 cup warm milk

-1/4 cup warm water

- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree

- 1/4 cup sugar (I used Agave nectar)

- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

for the coating:

- 1 cup sugar (use maple or cane sugar, it's better than refined white sugar)

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 6 tbsp butter, melted (again, use Earth Balance if you want it vegan friendly)

for the glaze:

- 2/3 cup powdered sugar

- 2 tbsp pure maple sugar

- 1-2 tsp milk (I used organic soy milk)

Do it!:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and spices.

2. In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, water, pumpkin puree, melted butter, sugar, and yeast.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir until the dough comes together. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Spray a clean bowl with cooking spray (I used Coconut Oil Spray) and place the dough inside. Cover with a clean dish towel and let dough rise until it doubles in size - about an hour.

4. In the meantime, mix together the cinnamon and sugar, and melt the butter for the coating. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. Once the dough has risen, shape the ball into a large rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into roughly equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into a ball (I had about 32 pieces, but you may have more or less).

5. Dip each ball of dough into the melted butter and then the cinnamon-sugar mixture, layering them in the bundt pan as you go.

6. Once you’ve used all the dough, cover the bundt pan and let the dough rise again for another hour.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the bread until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out on to a platter. To make the glaze, stir together the powdered sugar and maple syrup. Pour over the bread while it’s still warm.

8. Optional but highly recommended: Enjoy with a mimosa! See the raspberry face??!