Mini Orange Monkey Bread from Scratch with Orange Glaze

Since you guys loved my cinnamon and sugar monkey bread so much, I knew you would be dying for another version to try :)  Here is version two . . . the orange monkey bread!

I don't know about you, but I have certain family members that would rather enjoy an orange roll over a cinnamon roll and then I have the family members that would pick a cinnamon roll over an orange roll any day of the week.  Being the sweet girl that I am, I figured I could satisfy everyone and make both versions.

You can do the same for your family on Christmas morning.  Make one batch of my biscuit dough and make half with cinnamon and sugar and the other half with orange.  It's a win win situation and I say the cook gets one of each version :)

Are you a cinnamon roll lover or an orange roll lover?

Mini Orange Monkey Bread from Scratch

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe) or (Printable with Picture)

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 Tbl. baking powder

3 Tbl. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter, cold

1 c. buttermilk (plus a little more, if needed)

Orange/Sugar Coating

1 c. sugar

grated zest of 1-2 oranges, to taste

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

Orange Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

1-2 Tbl. fresh orange juice

1/2 tsp. orange bakery emulsion, opt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt; mix well.  Cut cold butter into cubes and add to flour mixture.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Make a well in the center and slowly incorporate the buttermilk until just combined.  I use a fork at first and then I use my hands to finish mixing.  You might need to add an extra Tablespoon or two of buttermilk to get the dough to come together.  Try not to over mix the dough.

Lightly flour work surface and pat dough out into a rectangle, about 1-inch thick.  Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into around 1 - 2 inch cubes.  There is no need to be exact, it really won't matter if they are uneven.  Grease a muffin tin very well.

Combine 1 cup of sugar and grated orange zest in a small bowl.  Rub together sugar and zest with your fingers to incorporate the two together.  Add melted butter to a separate bowl.  Take a few dough cubes and toss in melted butter and then in orange/sugar mixture.  Place sugar coated cubes into muffin cups.  Add enough cubes to fill each cup.  Repeat until all dough cubes are gone.  If you have any extra sugar mixture, just sprinkle it over the top of the muffins.  

Place in oven and bake for 25-28 minutes or until lightly browned and biscuit cubes are cooked through.  Remove from oven and loosen each monkey bread from pan.  Carefully remove to a wire rack to cool.  Combine all glaze ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Add enough orange juice to reach desired consistency.  You can either drizzle the glaze over the muffins while they are warm or when they are cooled.  Yield: 12 muffins.    

Jenn's Notes:  I like a lot of orange flavor, so I added the full amount of orange zest and I added some orange bakery emulsion to the glaze (which is like orange extract).