Starting the New Year Off Right: Monkey Bread

Happy 2011 everyone!  My new years eve was low key, and involved many hours of Mario Brothers and The Tudors.  I managed to stay awake long enough to watch the ball drop . . . barely.  But only because I knew what awaited me in the morning . . . monkey bread!

Well, it didn't really await me, since I had to whip it up once I woke up in 2011, but the preparation was well worth it.

I used a pizza cutter to slice my dough into 64 pieces (approximately . . . I'm not a counter) and as Deb, over at Smitten Kitchen suggested, I browned my butter before dipping the dough into it, and then the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, and it created a wonderful nutty flavor that was just wonderful.

I didn't make the glaze quite right (mine was a little lumpy), and I made a little bit too much of it, but it tasted really good so I'm not complaining.

The BF, who loves all things sweet, wasn't crazy about this delicacy.  I couldn't believe it!  If I had dipped the dough in melted peanut butter cups, I think he may have changed his mind.  Oh well . . . more for me!

The new year is, I hear, a time for making resolutions.  So I have made a few. 

1. Stop being lazy and finish my Couch to 5K.  It started at couch, for goodness sake, how hard can it be?!
2. Try new cooking techniques that I'm scared of.  I tried a souffle.  It wasn't a total disaster.  Now try something else.
3. Continue getting straight A's in "library school."
4. Buy myself one fabulous (yet timeless) pair of shoes (or maybe not just one).  Maybe these:

 Yves Saint Laurent via Nordstrom.

They seem like a good starting place for 2011, to me!  Happy New Year!