pecan monkey bread

Pecan Monkey Bread

Serves 6 (generously).  This could also be a decadent breakfast or brunch dish, from the January 2015 issue of Bon Appétit magazine, attributed to Salt Air restaurant in the Los Angeles area.  You can make the crème anglaise sauce up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered and chilled.  Bring to room temperature before serving.  Or, just use melted vanilla ice cream for the sauce.  You’ll need a jumbo 6-cup muffin pan for this.  Did you ever roll biscuit dough in cinnamon sugar?  This is a puff pastry version!

            Crème Anglaise:

            1 c. cream

            ½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

            2 large egg yolks

            3 Tbs. granulated sugar

            Monkey Bread and Assembly:

            nonstick vegetable oil spray

            ½ c. pecans

            ½ c. granulated sugar

            ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

            ½ c. (packed) light brown sugar

            ¼ c. butter, room temperature

            ½ c. golden raisins

            1 pkg. puff pastry, thawed

            flour (for surface)

Crème Anglaise:  Place cream in a small saucepan and scrape in vanilla seeds.  Heat over medium heat until just simmering, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Whisk yolks and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until pale and light, about 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk half of cream into yolk mixture.  Then whisk mixture in bowl back into cream in saucepan.  Cook over medium–low, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sauce is thickened and coats spoon, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a medium bowl; let cool.

Monkey Bread and Assembly:  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat muffin cups with nonstick spray.  Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8-10 minutes.  Let cool; coarsely chop. 

Stir granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.  Bring brown sugar, butter, and ½ c. water to boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Pour syrup into muffin cups.  Top with pecans and raisins.

Gently roll our pastry on a lightly floured surface just to smooth.  For a 14-oz. package, fold sheet in half.  For a 17.3-oz. package, stack sheets.  Cut pastry into an 8 x 6 grid to make 48 squares.  Roll into balls; toss in cinnamon sugar.  Fill each muffin cup with 8 balls; press lightly to compact.

Bake until pastry in golden brown and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool slightly, but unmold before caramel hardens.  Serve monkey bread, caramel side up, on a pool of crème anglaise.