Christmas Monkey in the Kitchen

My son and I are complete addicts of A Great British Kitchen.. our mouths drool at the yummy sweet breads. So making fluffy doughs, breads and cakes have become a fun weekend pastime and made all the more easier since owning the new TM5 Thermomix.

This tear and share monkey bread is an indulgent raised sweet bread that kids absolutely LOVE it's fun to make wtih them and tastes fantastic straight from the oven oooozing with carmalised bits. I have played with Jo Whittons' Quirky Cooking recipe and added a few of my own touches, but mainly this is a dairy free recipe using sugar alternatives, however you can use milk and butter instead. I've also included Thermomix instructions. Making bread can be a lengthy process, however things are speeded up by having a Thermomix.

Chocolate, Cocoa and Coconut Sweet Monkey Bread

Dairy Free Spelt Brioche

300g Almond Milk ( or dairy milk)

30g coconut sugar or Rapadura sugar

2 tsp instant dried yeast

1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan Pink Salt

80g Macadamia oil (or melted butter)

660 white unbleached spelt flour

1 egg

Filling

150g Thick coconut cream (or melted butter)

125g Rapadura or coconut sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp raw cacao

3 tbsp finely chopped dates (15 seconds/speed 5)

coconut shards to decorate

Make the dough

1. Place the milk and sugar into the thermomix bowl. Warm for 2 min/37℃/speed 1. Otherwise, melt the milk and sugar in a small saucepan until melted.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the Thermomox bowl and mix 5 sec/speed5, then knead 2min /knead function. Otherwise, mix in a bowl and knead for 10 minutes on a floured board until elastic and springy in texture.

3. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap loosely in a Thermo Mat or in place in a oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen cloth. Place the dough on a tray in the centre of a cold oven. Place a roasting tin beneath it and fill with boiling water, shut the door and leave for 20 minutes to assist with the proving process.

4. Meanwhile, place the sugar, cinnamon, finely chopped dates and cacao in a seperate bowl and stir until well combined.

5. After 20 minutes remove the dough, which should've doubled in size. Discard the water. Pinch off walnut sized pieces of proved dough (weighing about 50g each) and roll into balls. Dip the balls in the coconut cream (or melted butter), then roll in the cinnamon, cacao, sugar, date mixture. Place the balls in a lined 20cm lined cake tin. Continue until the cake tin is full. Drizzle with any remaining coconut cream.

6. Set aside to prove in a warm place for 30 minutes and cover loosely with a clean tea towel.

7. Place the tin in a cold oven and turn to 180℃. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. Check that the bread is done by pulling it apart gently.

8. Sprinkle with coconut shards and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn onto a place and serve warm.

Change it up:

Make it seriously Christmassy and roll the dough in mincmeat instead of the cinnamon sugar!!

I am so in love wtih our Thermomix, can't live without it! If you live in Sydney I'd be happy to show you some of my favourite Christmas favourites..