Monkey in a Tree
- 3 12 cups all-purpose flour
- 12 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 14 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 -2 14 cups heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted or 13 cup milk
- 1 -1 14 cup cinnamon-sugar mixture
- Lightly grease a 12" x 9" paper tree pan.
- Or grease a 9" x 13" pan, line with parchment, and grease the parchment.
- Parchment isn't absolutely necessary, but it makes it easier to get the bubbly, sugary buns out of the pan once they're baked.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Add 2 cups of the cream all at once, then toss and stir the mixture till the dough comes together.
- If necessary, add additional cream to make the dough cohesive.
- Gather the dough in your hands and knead it a few times to make sure there are no dry spots.
- Place the cinnamon sugar in a small, shallow bowl or pan; or in a plastic zip-top bag.
- Break off pieces of dough about the size of a ping pong ball, or about 1 1/8 ounces.
- Dip each piece in melted butter or milk, then roll or shake in the cinnamon-sugar to coat.
- Place the cinnamon-coated dough balls into the pan of your choice in a single layer; they'll be touching one another and, in the tree pan, they'll be quite crowded (which is perfectly OK).
- Cover the pan with plastic, and place in the freezer overnight, or for up to a week or so.
- If freezing longer than overnight, and using a paper tree pan, wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap, then in foil.
- Next day, remove the pan from the freezer, and let the buns rest at room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350F The buns don't need to thaw.
- If you're using a paper tree pan, set it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil, to catch any potential drips.
- If you're baking the buns immediately (not frozen), bake them for 45 to 50 minutes, till the buns in the center are cooked through.
- You can asses this by taking a toothpick and actually digging into the center bun to take a look; it should look totally baked, not doughy.
- If the buns have been frozen, bake them for 65 to 70 minutes, testing for doneness as instructed above.
- Tent them with aluminum foil after 45 minutes of baking.
- Remove from the oven, and serve immediately, right from the tree pan.
- If you've baked in a 9" x 13" pan, turn the buns out of the pan onto a serving platter.
- Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired, right before serving.
flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, sugar, heavy cream, butter, cinnamonsugar
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/monkey-in-a-tree-341763 (may not work)