Monkey Bread by Misty Simon +Giveaway

Maya: Please welcome guest Misty Simon who's sharing a recipe for Monkey Bread and celebrating the release of Varnished Without a Trace. Don't miss the book giveaway she is offering to one reader who comments.  Take it away, Misty!

Misty: Hello all you Mystery Lover’s Kitchen readers and shakers! I hope your day is going fabulous and will only get better when you make room in your belly for this little delightfully simple and yet super scrumptious snack. Any time of day, though I do prefer it as a breakfast item, Monkey Bread is just enough sweet with a little soft squish to make your mouth happy. Warm from the oven, or the microwave if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, a little goes a long way. 

Things you need on hand to make monkey bread that’s going to melt in your mouth:

½ cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cans flaky biscuits from the refrigerator aisle
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup butter melted

If you want to make it a bit showier, you can also throw in:
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins

Preheat that oven to 350 degrees. Get a fluted tube pan and grease that baby up so that none of your delicious ingredients stick when you’re ready to eat it ALL! You can use shortening if you’d like, but I prefer the cooking spray.
Grab a gallon-sized plastic food storage bag and pour in the sugar and the cinnamon. Shake it a little to get the two to mix in prep for all that flaky biscuit goodness.

Pop open those cans of flaky biscuits (am I the only one that flinches when they make the popping sound even though I know exactly when it’s going to happen?). 

Cut each biscuit into quarters and then add to the sugar and cinnamon mix. Seal the bag tight and roll it around in your hands or on the counter, making sure that you coat each of the quarters. When they’re all coated, dump them into the waiting, greased pan. 

Mix the melted butter and the brown sugar and then pour it over the biscuit pieces. Stick with me here. I know it sounds like a lot of sweetness but it will all be worth it in the end.

Now this is the spot where you can add those extras up above if you’d like the showier version. Just intersperse them throughout the coated quarters. If you happen to have any leftover mixture in the gallon bag, sprinkle over the top of everything.

Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown. You can use a metal spatula to loosen the edges of pan. After cooling in the pan for about ten minutes, turn it upside down onto serving plate. 

This part can get a little messy and might require you to lick your fingers when you’re done.

Dive in! This is a pull apart to serve kind of recipe and is best served warm (note the microwave if you’re lucky enough for leftovers). Some people do like to also put warmed maple syrup on these babies. While I’m in favor of that if it fits your fancy, there’s nothing wrong with just plain old monkey bread on a plate, no toppings necessary.

Every holiday, I make this recipe along with a ham and cheese quiche and cheesy hashbrowns for the family. They’re quick, easy, and I’m not still standing at the stove while everyone else digs in because they’re usually all done at the same time.

Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time. She hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at misty@mistysimon.com.

Connect with her on Facebook and

through her Website: www.mistysimon.com

Buy Varnished Without a Trace 

This Christmas, Tallie Graver would like to take a break from running her cleaning business to be with her boyfriend, Max, and enjoy their first holiday together--alone. Instead, she’s stuck keeping her mother and grandmother from duking it out during the town’s annual Christmas Eve bingo game. As for festive spirit, she’ll have to settle for her mean-spirited Aunt Ronda, whose mouth could use some soap.

The night only gets worse after Tallie discovers Ronda’s body. It seems someone cleaned her clock with a can of varnish. While all the evidence points to Ronda’s husband, Tallie doesn’t believe her beloved Uncle Hoagie could do such a dirty deed. Of course, his sudden disappearance doesn’t help his case. If Tallie hopes to clear his name, she’ll need to dig up some dirt to locate the real killer. Otherwise, someone else could get rubbed out . . .

I’m happy to give away a copy of Varnished Without A Trace to a commenter. US only, please. What kind of easy, throw-it-together and come back later recipes do you like to make?