Monkey Bread

Ooey. Gooey. Cinnamony. Sugary. DELICIOUS. I can't believe it took me until now to discover how good this stuff is (I had never tried it until a few weeks ago!). Seriously... it is soooo goooooood. Plus, it's fun to eat AND easy to make. So basically, you have no excuse not to try this recipe. Go make some Monkey Bread. Now.


Monkey Bread
24 ounces refrigerated roll or bread dough
7-1/2 tbsp + 3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
2 tsp light butter
3 tbsp skim milk

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a loaf pan or small bunt pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix together 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut dough in pieces so that you can roll it into 3/4-inch to 1-inch balls. Roll in the cinnamon-sugar, arranging them in the pan as you go. Sprinkle any extra cinnamon-sugar on top.

In a microwavable bowl, combine the 7-1/2 tbsp granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, butter, and milk; microwave until butter is just melted. Stir it all together, and pour mixture over dough balls.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then turn upside down onto a plate.

Yield: 8 servings
310 calories per serving

Crunchy French Toast with Strawberry-Orange Sauce

What could be better than French toast? Crunchy French toast! It's crispy on the outside, chewy-soft on the inside, and covered with warm strawberry goodness. Mmmmmm... strawberries...

But although this breakfast tastes decadent, it has a pretty modest calorie count. And as an added bonus, in each serving you get a good amount of fruit PLUS over 7 grams of fiber. Mmmmmm... fiber...


Crunchy French Toast
1/2 cup Egg Beaters (or 4 egg whites)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp orange zest
1 tsp sugar
8 slices reduced-calorie wheat bread
3-1/2 cups cornflakes, measured then crushed
4 tsp powdered sugar

Strawberry-Orange Sauce
1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 tbsp sugar (if you want it sweeter, increase to 2 tbsp. This will add 12 more calories per serving)
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 325-degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. To make strawberry sauce, chop 1 cup of strawberries and puree 1/2 cup in a food processor. Combine the strawberries and all other sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened a bit. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

For the French toast, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, orange zest, and sugar in shallow dish or bowl. In another bowl, place crushed cornflakes.

Dunk bread slices into egg mixture and then dredge in cornflakes, pressing slightly so they stick. Cook in a large nonstick skillet set on medium-high heat until cornflakes start to brown and egg begins to set. Transfer to baking sheet and put in the oven (the egg will continue to set while in the oven).

Continue browning French toast in the skillet and transferring to oven. Keep an eye on the toasts in the oven, and lower the temperature if they start to brown too much. Remove from oven when egg is completely set. When ready to serve, place 2 pieces on each plate and sprinkle with a tsp of powdered sugar. Top with 3-4 tablespoons strawberry sauce.

Yield: 4 servings
248 calories per serving (213 without sauce)