I don't know what makes the "monkey" in monkey bread... Is it the pull apart factor? Jacob requested moose bread next time so I guess I better get on that. Anyways monkey bread apparently comes in many flavours from savoury to sweet and when I saw the words lemon and monkey and bread together it was just meant to be.
I used my cinnamon bun dough recipe since the recipe called for frozen ready to bake white roll dough. I hate when recipes call for things like that. I once got a cookbook from the library that ws supposed to be great fun snacks for kids and the first recipe called for Eggos. Then put peanut butter and an apple slice on top. How do these books get published? And, I digress.
Bun recipe:
1 egg
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups white bread flour
2 tsps instant yeast.
Mix, let rise a bit in bowl. Divide into 24 pieces and roll into balls. Place in buttered 9x13 pan and drizzle with 3 tbsps melted butter.
Meanwhile, zest a lemon. Now I have never zested before and thus I don't own a zester and it turns out that that other weird side of the four sided cheese grater is not for zesting. Zesting a lemon with only a cheese grater is a pain in the butt. Note to self: buy a zester.
The recipe says mix the zest of one lemon with 1/2 cup of sugar. I did this, but in the end I felt like a had way too much sugar, so use your own judgment. Sprinkle only HALF of this mixture on top of your buns and let them rise a little more so the sugar/zest mix dissolves into the buns.
Your oven should be preheating to 350. I always forget to do that! When the buns have doubled in size sprinkle with the rest of the sugar/zest mix and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Now have the glaze ready so you can pour it on as soon as the buns come out of the oven. Mix 1/2 cup icing sugar with 1tbsp lemon juice, or more, until you are happy with the consistency.
If you are brave enough to risk burning your mouth eat one right away. They are delicious, and to me tasted like perfect little lemon donuts.
