One of my favorite Easter traditions is actually Easter breakfast. Our Easter dinner is pretty much the same every year – ham, scalloped potatoes, homemade rolls, and salad – but our Easter breakfast is always a little different. The only thing that stays the same from year to year is that we try something new each time. Last year we had savory breakfast muffins with a hash brown crust, so this year I want to do something sweet instead. This pineapple monkey bread is definitely sweet. And definitely delicious.
A couple of months ago my husband and I celebrated our ninth anniversary at a restaurant in Texas and it may have been one of the best meals in my life—and I’ve eaten some incredible meals. The main course was incredible but the highlight of the night was a pineapple monkey bread that they actually proof, bake, and finish during your dinner there. It takes about an hour and a half to make, so you have to order it as soon as you sit down to eat. It’s served with grilled caramelized pineapple and pretty much the most perfect way to end a meal. I won’t even pretend that this monkey bread compares to the homemade, freshly proofed, and perfectly baked pineapple monkey bread we had at Lonesome Dove. But it was inspired by that perfect dessert and is still a fantastic way to either start your Easter morning with breakfast or finish your Easter dinner with a sweet dessert. Honestly, we’ll probably be eating it for both along with a little striped delight. The monkey bread is so easy to make. Start off by making a pineapple caramel sauce; that’s what will make the monkey bread so sweet and gooey. To make the caramel sauce, just combine butter, brown sugar, and DOLE® Canned 100% Pineapple Juice, the King of Juices™ and heat until thoroughly combined. Once your caramel is ready to go, cut pre-made biscuit dough into quarters, coat them in a citrus and cinnamon sugar mixture, and lay them out in the bottom of the Bundt pan. Oh, and make sure you actually have a Bundt pan. I was about 1/2 way through the recipe before I realized I’d given away the only Bundt pan I’ve ever purchased. Thank goodness we’ve got a store just around the corner. Once that’s done, add some chopped walnuts (or not, if you’re allergic), and pour the pineapple caramel sauce over everything. Bake in the oven until the biscuit dough is completely cooked and the caramel is thoroughly soaked in. Then let it cool in the Bundt cake pan for another 10-15 minutes.
While the monkey bread is cooling, make a quick pineapple glaze by mixing up some powdered sugar with more from that same 6 oz can of DOLE® Canned 100% Pineapple Juice, the King of Juices™. As soon as the monkey bread has cooled for long enough, put a plate on top of the bread, hold the plate and your breath, and flip the pan over on top of the plate. Drizzle the pineapple icing over the entire cake then stand back and admire. I recommend you serve it warm, although honestly it’s still pretty delicious at room temp. And if you’re up to it, caramelize a little pineapple and serve it alongside the monkey bread for a sweet addition.
