Gorilla What?

There’s nothing like being home for the holidays, right? After being stuck in my car for eight hours (Norman to Houston…a killer drive!) I was sure as hell ready to get out of my car and in to my own bed! After a home cooked meal and a good nights sleep I was ready to get into the holiday spirit!

I started digging through my mom’s recipe books for some inspiration. I wanted something easy and sweet…my mother is a fabulous cook but she wouldn’t touch a baking sheet with a ten-foot pole! I decided on a Paula Deen’s Gorilla Bread. 

I know, I know, when you think about Thanksgiving you think of turkeys, not gorillas. But I promise, take one look at this recipe and Gorilla Bread will become one of your Thanksgiving staples!

Here’s what the recipe calls for:

½ cup granulated sugar

3 teaspoons cinnamon

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)

1 ½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts

When it comes to baking I don’t exactly like to follow the rules (maybe that’s why I’m a better cook…) Anyways, I felt compelled to change things up a bit. I used pecans instead of walnuts. Rebellious, right? Pecans are more of a Thanksgiving nut anyways, and they give the bread more of a Texas taste!Because everything's bigger better in Texas!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Make sure you keep your eye on the saucepan. You don’t want burnt brown sugar and butter!

Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese.

Sprinkle ½ cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on another layer of nuts.

Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar and pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place on a cake platter or plate and enjoy!

Obviously I wasn’t concerned about my calorie count for the day…or the week for that matter! It’s Thanksgiving after all. If the Gorilla Bread didn’t get me the Pumpkin Pie would have…

I cannot wait to dig into this Texas Thanksgiving Toast! Happy 

Thanksgiving y’all!