Cream Cheese Filled Caramel-Nut Pull Apart Bread (Freezeable!)

It's Tuesday. Yes, I know. It's evil. Don't blame me, it was Auntie Em's idea to stuff the caramel nut pull apart monkey bread with a wicked cream cheese filling. With Easter coming and all the cream filled eggs out there, why not add cream filled sticky buns to the list of things to make. Why?! OH Auntie Em, what are you thinking?! Pure genius! Yes...she is in fact my evil twin sister. Well, we are a year apart in age, but that didn't stop the folks from calling us the "sunshine twins" back in grade school. Recently Em wrote me asking my advice on not only making this dessert...but making it freezable. The kind of freezable that would be able to bake the day of her family event (with the mother in law coming) and still get a good review. What do you think? Does it look like it worked? Pictures today are brought to you by the letter "E". Em, Eats, Evil. Triple threat. However, if you string the "E's" together, it looks more like a gleeful expression of utter bliss, "EEEEEEeeeeee".


Kick off you shoes and run though a meadow of wild flowers. It's time for the step by step instructions. Special thanks to Auntie Em! Smooooches!!

Auntie Em's Caramel Nut Pull Apart Bread, Cream Filled and freezable EVil Genius

Dough:

1/4 c warm water

1 T active dry yeast

4-1/4 to 4-1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/3 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c milk

1/3 c butter, cut in chunks

1 egg

Caramel Topping:

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c chopped pecans

1/3 c Corn Syrup

1/4 c butter, melted

Cream Filling:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 c shredded coconut (okay...how evil is that?!)

1/4 c powdered sugar

2 T butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla

Combine water and yeast in a small bowl; set aside.

Combine 2 c flour, sugar and salt in large mixer bowl. Heat milk and butter until warm (100° to 110°F) - butter does not need to melt.

Add milk mixture, yeast mixture and egg to dry ingredients. Beat 30 seconds on low speed to blend; beat an additional 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat.Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. (Note: this rich dough rises slowly, and probably will not double).

Combine all caramel topping ingredients together.
Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Spread half the topping in the bottom of each pan.
Combine all cream filling ingredients and beat until well mixed; set aside. Punch dough down and divide into 20 equal pieces. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Flatten each piece of dough into a small circle, about 4 to 5 inches in diameter.
Place a scant T of cream filling in the center.

It looks like a little cheese tortellini.

Pinch edges of dough together and form into a ball; place in prepared pans, pinched side down, 10 rolls per pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Yes, let them raise before freezing! That is the secret!.(if freezing, put in freezer at this point. To prepare pull from freezer straight to the oven and add 20 min to bake time for room temp dough) Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown (45-50 minutes from frozen). Cool on rack for only 1 minute; invert onto serving platters.

Remember, allow to cool only one minute before inverting onto a platter. Be careful, it's hot and that goo is delicious...but not in a molten mass attached to your arm.

Oh my stars!

There you go! Thank Auntie Em for those extra pounds. Not me. I have to go jogging just thinking about this stuff. Thanks a lot! Smooches anyway sista'. You know I love you!