Monkey Bread

I haven't posted here in so long! I actually had time to cook on Father's Day, so I will be sharing those recipes here. For breakfast, I made Wendel bacon and eggs, along with this monkey bread. It is definitely a special treat, as it is not a low-calorie item, but it is really good every so often.

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Monkey Bread (from my Mom)

1/2 C. chopped pecans
18 (approximately) frozen Rhodes rolls
1 small package of instant butterscotch pudding
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1/2 C. brown sugar
cinnamon

Grease a bundt pan. Put the chopped pecans in the bottom of the pan. Layer the Rhodes rolls on top of the nuts. Sprinkle the package of butterscotch pudding on top. Melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar (let it thicken a little) and pour this over the top. Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon. Place in a cold oven overnight. In the morning, take out of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes:
Don't try to squeeze in a bunch of rolls because they will grow a lot. If 18 seems too squished, take some out.

I found that the baking time was a little bit too long for my oven. I say bake for 20-30 minutes but keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Also, don't bake it too close to the top of the oven (put it on the middle rack).

Irish Soda Bread

I didn't get too festive with St. Patrick's Day this year. I didn't wear green, dye my food green, or make an Irish meal. The one thing I did do to commemorate this holiday was make some yummy Irish Soda Bread. This is the first time I've ever made it and it turned out really good. I like that is has a bit of sweetness to it, but it's not too sweet. It was also fast and easy to make.

What you need:

* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 eggs
* 1 pint sour cream
* 1 cup raisins (I left these out of mine because I'm not a fan of raisins)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, sour cream and raisins and mix until just combined. Distribute batter evenly between the two pans.
3. Bake loaves at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Recipe courtesy of Arlene Costello/Agnes Walters via allrecipes.com