APRICOT PINEAPPLE MONKEY BREAD

APRICOT PINEAPPLE MONKEY BREAD*

BREAD

1 cup scalded milk

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1teaspoon salt

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup rum

1/2 cup minced walnuts

2 packages dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 Jumbo eggs, beaten

4 1/2 - 5 cups flour

TOPPING

20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar, super firmly packed

1/2 cup apricot pineapple preserves**

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2+ teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup golden raisins*

1/4 cup rum*

Soften the yeast in the warm water.
Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Soak the raisins in the rum until needed. Drain before adding to the bread.
Combine the milk, shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
Add yeast to milk mixture and then the eggs, the raisins and nuts.
Add the flour. Mix to a soft dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Turn over once, cover with a cheesecloth and let rise until double in size.
Punch down and let stand ten minutes.
Prepare the topping while the dough is standing.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Add the preserves, brown sugar, cinnamon and almond extract. Cook until smooth and fairly thin.
Add the pineapple (and raisins if you're using refrigerator rolls) and heat through.
Roll into many small balls about the size of golf balls.
Grease a Bundt cake pan. (I like to use my pineapple upside down cake pan.
Arrange a layer of the balls haphazardly in the cake pan.
Dribble about half the topping loosely over them.
Arrange the other half of the dough balls.
Pour remaining sauce over top.
Allow to rise until double in size (about 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours)
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
Enjoy
*You can cheat and use 3 cans of refrigerator biscuits instead if you're in a hurry. If you still want the raisins you can add them to the topping instead.

**You can use pretty much any flavor you want - I also use raspberry, peach and blackberry depending on my mood. A lot of times I combine the peach and blackberry half and half.