Chocolate Monkey Bread

By MissHeather

Ingredients

• CHOCOLATE TOPPING:
• 1/3 C granulated sugar
• 1/4 C warm water
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 3/4 C milk
• 1/4 C butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 C all-purpose flour (approx)
• 1 C mini chocolate chips
• 3 T butter, melted
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 T cocoa powder
• ICING:
• 1/2 C icing sugar
• 1 T water

Preparation

Step 1

In large bowl, dissolve 1 tsp of the sugar in warm water. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy.

Whisk in remaining sugar, milk, butter, eggs, vanilla and salt. Whisk in 2 cups of the flour. With wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour, 1.2 C at a time, to make soft slightly sticky dough.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead for about 10 mintes or until smooth and elastic, adding enough of the remaining flour as necessary. Knead in chocolate chips.

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Grease 10-inch tube pan; set aside.

Punch down dough. Divide into 24 portions; shape each into ball. Place butter in small bowl. In separate bowl, combine sugar with cocoa. Roll balls first in butter, then in cocoa mixture. Arrange in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in warm draft-free place for about 40 minutes or until almost doubled.

Bake in cnetre of 350 oven for about 45 minutes or until golden. Remove pan to rack for 10 minutes. REmove bread from pan; let cool completely.

Icing: Stir sugar with water until smooth; drizzle over bread.

BREAD MACHINE: In pan of 1 1/2 - 2 lb machine, in order, add milk, water, butter, eggs, vanilla, sugar salt, flour and yeast, making sure yeast doesn't touch liquid.