Oranges & Cream Monkey Bread
Who doesn't love the age-old combo of oranges and cream? Well you can certainly get your fix with this indulgent orange pull-apart bread, stuffed with Grand Marnier and cream cheese filling.
This year is absolutely flying by! Maybe it’s because I’m keeping so busy, or maybe whoever is in control of time pressed a button they weren’t supposed to. Either way, I hope you make some time to enjoy this lovely recipe I’ve concocted for you.
Servings: 12 to 15 | Prep Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 40 to 50 minutes
Small plastic bags
Rolling pin
2 ¼” diameter round cutter
12-cup Bundt pan
Small saucepan
Oranges & Cream Monkey Bread:
3 cups flour
1 ½ tbsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt
Zest of two oranges, divided
¾ cup sugar, divided
¾ cup butter, cold, cubed
½ cup heavy whipping cream (plus a few splashes for thinning the glaze)
¾ cup orange juice, divided
8 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur)
1 ½ cups brown sugar, divided
½ cup butter, melted
Oranges & Cream Monkey Bread (1 hour + 40 to 50 minutes baking)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined and set aside.
In a small plastic bag, combine the zest of one orange and 2 tbsp sugar, mashing the sugar and zest together until the sugar turns orange.
Add the orange sugar to the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture, incorporating with your fingers until butter pieces are about pea-size. Set aside.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk to combine ½ cup cream and ½ cup orange juice and let sit for 5 minutes.
With a large wooden spoon, gradually stir the cream mixture into the flour mixture to form a shaggy dough.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a 6 x 9” rectangle. Cut the rectangle into thirds and stack them.
Roll the dough back into a 6 x 9” rectangle about ½” thick.
Cut the dough into rounds with a floured 2 ¼” round cutter.
Cut each round in quarters and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a small bowl, whisk to combine the cream cheese, Grand Marnier, and remaining 2 tbsp sugar.
Place 1 tsp dollops of cream cheese on half of the cut biscuit rounds. You should have some left over. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge.
Top with the remaining biscuit rounds and pinch the edges together to seal them, so each cream cheese dollop is surrounded by a ball of dough.
Place the remaining ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup sugar, and zest of remaining orange in a small bowl and whisk together.
Roll each of the dough balls in the sugar mixture until fully coated and place in a greased 12-cup Bundt pan, spacing evenly. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup orange juice, 1 cup brown sugar, and the melted butter until sugar is fully dissolved.
Pour the mixture evenly over the biscuits in the pan.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown. If the biscuits on top start to get too dark, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining time.
Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
While the bread is cooling, take out the remaining cream cheese filling from the fridge and whisk in a splash of heavy whipping cream at a time, until the mixture is a thin, glazing consistency.
Transfer to a small plastic bag and set aside.
Place your serving platter upside down on top of your Bundt pan and quickly invert the bread onto it.
Cut the tip off the plastic bag and drizzle the monkey bread with the glaze.
Serve immediately. Leftovers may be stored covered, in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my Best Practices page for tips on how to make this recipe yourself. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and feel free to tag me on Instagram @made.by.shade if you make it!
-Shade