A few days ago, I watched one of my all-time favorite Disney Channel movies with my kids – The Lizzie McQuire Movie. I just love the innocence and fun and sweetness of the movie. Near the end of the movie, Lizzie is singing “This is What Dreams are Made Of” in the Coliseum. There’s a shot where her mom looks up at her from the crowd with so much love and pride. I lose it every single time.
Well, as much as I love Lizzie McQuire, I have to tell you something:
This stuff is what dreams are made of!
Okay, let me just warn you: This stuff isn’t low-fat. It isn’t low-carb. It’s not low-calorie. It’s not low-anything.
But it is unbelievably decadent and delicious and dreamy and dadgum good.
I’ve always loved monkey bread. My recipe, like most, starts with canned biscuits. You cut them up, toss them in cinnamon sugar, throw them into a bundt pan, and pour melted butter all over them before baking. It’s good for breakfast. It’s good for dessert. It’s good.
This is better.
I’ve been working on this recipe in my mind for a couple of months. I’ve tweaked ingredients. I’ve pretend-tasted it. I’ve dreamed about it.
This weekend, it was time to make it. And make it I did. It is so good! It is, however, so rich that you really can’t eat much of it at a time.
I’m okay with that.
Coffee Toffee Monkey Bread
- 3 cans of big biscuits (like Grands)
- 1 cup of Maxwell House International Cafe Swiss Mocha instant coffee
- 1 cup of Heath bits
- 1 cup of chopped pecans
- 1 cup of Talenti Coffee Chocolate Chip Gelato
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of white sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a big bundt pan with baking spray.
Pour instant coffee powder into a gallon-sized ZipLoc. Cut each biscuit into fourths and toss into the bag with the coffee powder. When one can of biscuits is cut, seal the bag and shake vigorously, coating all the pieces. Pull pieces out and place in the bottom of the bundt pan. Top with one-half cup of Heath bits and one-half cup of chopped pecans.
Repeat with the second can of biscuits. Top with Heath bits and pecans.
Repeat with the third can of biscuits.
In a medium saucepan, place gelato, butter, and sugars. Stir over medium-high heat until butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Pour the mixture over the biscuits. It should completely cover the top.
Place a large baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any drips. Place the bundt pan on a higher rack. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are crispy to the touch.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate.
Well Duh #1: I sprayed the heck out of my bundt pan and this still stuck a little. It wasn’t that big a deal. I just had to perform a minor surgical procedure to put it back together. Next time, I will likely make it in a 9X13 pan.
Well Duh #2: This is best served warm. The ice cream caramel is rich and gooey and perfect. If you’re eating it the next day, you’ll want to warm it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Well Duh #3: If you can’t find Talenti Coffee Chocolate Chip Gelato, you could probably use any coffee ice cream. But I will tell you that gelato has a lot less fat than ice cream, so your caramel may turn out differently. Hmmm…what do you know? It is low-fat! Not.
The kids and I loved this! Michael does not like coffee. At all. So I waited until he was out of town to make it! We couldn’t eat much of it because it is so rich and decadent. As a result, I had enough to share with some friends at school!
It really is as gooey and rich and sweet as you imagine is. You will not believe the thick caramel that forms from the ice cream, butter, and sugar. It’s absolutely luscious. The coffee flavor is subtle enough that I actually think Michael would like it, too! This one is really more suited for dessert than breakfast.
This is what dreams are made of!!
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