A Monkey Bread Breakfast

It really doesn't matter how old they are, children can help in the kitchen. I love to cook, we've established that! I adore my granddaughter! I may not have established that (okay, maybe I have)! She's three, opinionated, and the light of my life!! And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cooking with her!

Emilee Mackenzie (Mack) can do anything I want her to do! From spreading out french fries in a single layer on a baking sheet, to helping me make Monkey Bread, she's willing and excited to help! No task is too small!

So get the kids in the kitchen! The experience is two-fold! You, and they, will get some amazing memories, and you just might teach them something!

Monkey Bread
One child, or two, or three! Whatever you have available! (I used one 3 year old)
3-10 ct tubes of ready to bake biscuits
1 c sugar
1/4 cinnamon
1-1/2 sticks melted unsalted butter, cooled
loaf baking pan

Icing
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c powdered (confectioner's) sugar
milk

Melon, your choice (I used a cantaloupe)
Bacon, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your loaf pan with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cinnamon and the sugar. Now make an assembly line, cutting board, cinnamon sugar, melted butter, then the loaf pan.

The adult opens the biscuit tubes and cuts each biscuit in half. You can roll each biscuit half into a ball or have the kids do it. Let little hands roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and then dip them into the butter. It's important that the butter be cooled enough that they won't burn themselves! Place the ball into the loaf pan. Repeat this process until all the balls are in the loaf pan. If there's any leftover cinnamon sugar or butter just pour it over the top of the Monkey Bread. Don't worry about licked fingers! If the kids were sick, you wouldn't have them in the kitchen to begin with!

The adult puts the Monkey Bread in the oven and bakes it's for 25-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Next, I put the bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake it with the Monkey Bread until it's my desired crispness. I don't allow the kids to do this because it involves working with raw meat.

Now, cut up the melon. I let little hands move the melon chunks from the cutting board to the bowl.

For the icing, in a large mixing bowl, cream the cheese and butter together. The kids can add the ingredients to the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar and incorporate thoroughly. The icing will be stiff at this point. Add milk by the spoonful, until it's your desired dipping consistency. On high speed, whip the icing until it's light and fluffy, about one minute. Pour the icing into a bowl for the table. Allow the kids to lick spoon and bowl!

Makes one loaf of Monkey Bread and icing for dipping.

Enjoy!