Sunday, April 3, 2011

{Momofuku} Cake Batter/Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread



Thanks for all of your "how to get out of a rut" ideas from my last post!  I'm slowly but surely getting there.


I have to tell you all about my April Fool's Joke!!! (Sorry, Mom...)


So, I was at work and it was about halfway through the day on April 1 and I hadn't pranked anyone or even tried yet.  I really wanted to, but like Molly, I'm not good at lying and I get nervous just thinking about how I'm going to follow through with a good joke without laughing.  But, Kellen texted me with an idea I could not pass up.  He told me to tell my mom that we're engaged.  The only reason I couldn't pass it up is because it was perfect for 2 reasons: 1) I had just told my mom earlier that morning that Kellen's mom was coming to town to visit and 2) My boss has connections at the jewelry store down the street.  Soo... this is what happened:


First, I called my dad to tell him what I was going to do.  (I would've played the prank on both of them, but my dad probably would have killed me.


Super blurry... but pretty, right?
Then, my boss called the jewelry store (which is right down the street from Jock's Nitch) and asked if it would be all right for me to come down and take a picture with one of her rings on.  She said yes, so I did.  (I picked the biggest one, of course.)  Once I took the picture, I sent it to my mom (with OH MY GOSH!!!!!! as the caption).  


After an hour of her not responding, I started getting antsy.  My boss figured she'd passed out.  I didn't want to have to call her because I knew I would start laughing and not be able to pull it off.  That's when Patrick, a friend I work with, told me that he would call her for me and tell her that I was too ecstatic/crying to tell her myself, but that Kellen had just proposed to me.  We got that all figured out only to call my house phone twice and my mom's cell twice with no answer.  I finally called my dad and come to find out, they had gone to church.  At this point, I thought that there was no way I was going to be able to pull it off. 


Well, I got off work and ended up getting home before my parents did.  Once they got home, I asked my dad if mom had checked her phone, so he asked her.  She looked at her phone and came into the bathroom (where I was) and this is the conversation that followed:


Mom: That's a pretty ring, where'd you get it?
Me:  You know how I told you that Kellen's mom was coming to town tonight?  That's why...
Mom:  Kellen's mom got you a ring....?
Me:  No..... Kellen did....
Mom:  He just came into Jock's Nitch and handed you a ring??
Me: No..... he got down on one knee...
Mom: {pause} No...where's the ring??
Me: Well, I don't have it yet...
Mom:  {speechless... she just stood there with her mouth open}
Me: April Fool's!!!
Mom: Not funny.


Haha!!! She was still in shock for about a half hour after telling her.  I can't believe I got her and it worked so well!  After that, I figured I was on a roll so I sent it to two of my friends (Brandon and Jordan), my brother, and my sister.  I'll go ahead and give you their responses, too, because they're all funny.


Brandon:  Texted me back "Excuse me" and then proceeded to call me and say "Noooo...." and I'm pretty sure I had him going for a little bit, but I finally told him it wasn't true.    
Jordan:  Called me frantically saying "No, this is an April Fool's joke!!"  I told her it wasn't and she got super excited, almost in tears telling me how happy she is for me!  I felt bad telling her that it wasn't true haha!
Brother:  Texted me back saying April F'n Fools.
Sister:  Called me and said "You realize it's April Fool's right? And I just received a picture of a diamond ring on your finger..."  I was like "Yeah....." she said "So, yeah... It's April Fool's...."  Then I just told her it was a joke. 


Pretty funny!! My poor mom, though, I swore she was going to seriously pass out.
What'd you guys do for April Fool's Jokes?!


Wheewww... long post today!  I've been wanting to make Joy's Pull-Apart Bread (which is adapted from Cindy's Lemon Pull-Apart bread... love her! :) ) for a while now, but I wanted to make a cake batter version.  Kellen wanted the cinnamon sugar version, so I made both!  They both turned out really well.  I like them both equally... I like the crunch exterior and sticky insides.  I'm mad at myself though because I meant to add sprinkles to the cake batter one!! I also forgot to let my dough rise twice... Geez, what is wrong with me today?!  Oh well, it still turned out perfectly! I used Momofuku Milk Bar's milk crumbs recipe for the filling and added cake mix to the dough.




















Gooey deliciousness 
Cake Batter/ Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread 
**If you want the cinnamon sugar recipe, go here.  
Inspired by/Adapted from: Momofuku for 2 and Joy/Cindy



Makes: one 9×5x3-inch loaf
Recipe adapted from HungryGirlPorVida
For the Dough:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake mix (I used yellow)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
For the Filling:
1/2 cup plus nonfat milk powder
4 tablespoons cake mix (I used yellow)
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup white chocolate, melted
1. In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.2. Whisk together eggs and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.
4.  Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together.  Keep stirring.  Add the 3/4 cup of cake mix and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes, fold in white chocolate chips, if desired.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.
5.  Place the dough in a large,  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.
6.  While the dough rises, make the filling:
7.  Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  8.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spread mixture on prepared baking sheet and transfer to oven.
9.  Bake until dried and crumbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove milk crumble from oven and let cool completely.  10.  
Transfer milk crumble to a large bowl and fold in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk powder and white chocolate. 
11.  Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  (Ooops, didn't do this)
12.  On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go.  Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough (or your hand.. that's what I did!).
13.  Sprinkle with milk crumb mixture.
14.  Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.
15.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. (Ooops, didn't do this either!)
16.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.  The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw.  A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
17.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.   Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.  Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the  upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up.  Serve warm with coffee or tea.
18.  Best served warm, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.  Luckily, my family devoured this.

Photobucket


50 comments:

  1. Wow! My jaw dropped. This looks so yummy. Thanks for sharing with Sweets This Week.

    Sarah

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  2. What an awesome April Fool's joke lol My mom would have freaked!! And omg what delicious looking bread. I love cinnamon infused breads :D

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  3. Your April Fool's joke was awesome!!! But you better be prepared for next year 'cause I'll bet your mom is gonna get you back big time!!! :)

    Your pull-apart bread looks wonderful by the way! I'm not surprised your family devoured it! :)

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  4. Oh, your poor mum! *laughs and laughs* I'll have to remember that one if I ever find myself a man :P

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  5. Nice joke :-) That bread looks so cool.

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  6. That's hilarious about the April Fool's joke. I'm all for harmless pranks! :)

    And awesome recipe! That bread looks delicious!

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  7. haha, very funny april fools prank. :D

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  8. funny prank! this bread looks incredible, so yummy. you've got a great blog!

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  9. This recipe looks delicious! and, you did pull a fast one on your Mom! LOL! Bless her heart! Have a great day! Tanna

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  10. What a cute April Fools joke! I'm not much into pranks but jokes like yours are sweet and I don't mind those at all. Plus, I'm pretty sure I want to tear apart your bread, it looks so good!

    So happy to have found your blog, by the way! I love it :)

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  11. Hey Katie! Thanks so much for following my blog. I love yours...all I will be able to think about today is that awesome pull-apart bread! It looks sooo good. That is a hilarious Fools day joke, my parents would have died haha ah too funny.

    I can't wait to see what you post next :-)

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  12. That looks SO AMAZING! Ohhh wow. I want to make this so bad!

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  13. Great April Fools gag! This recipe has my mouth watering.

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  14. Great joke! My mom would have killed me! But if I gave her some of that bread, she'd get over it quick. Looks fantastic!

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  15. Hi Katie, and thanks so much for your visit! I have a daughter who graduated with a communications major too - and if she had done that to me I would have NOT been happy - LOL.

    What a delightful-looking bread and I'm sure all is forgiven :)

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  16. That April Fool's joke is hilarious!! Oh man, that's a good one.

    Your bread looks amaaaazing. I wonder if a vegan version would work.

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  17. Haha! That's a pretty intense April Fool's joke, but funny! Thanks for sharing your story and this delicious recipe, Katie. You are such a talented baker!

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  18. Great joke :) You guys really thought it through.
    And the pull-apart bread looks delicious.
    AND thank you for your nice words about the cookies :)

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  19. Really funny April Fool's Joke! I looove this pull apart bread. I have got to make it!

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  20. haha, I got engaged when I was just barely 21 and it wasn't a joke...my mom didn't think it was funny either ;) my old stand-by april fools was kool-aid in the shower heads.

    what a fun take on the bread!

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  21. I gotta admit - that was a pretty good one! I'm horrible at pulling pranks too. I really do try though but they never follow thru like I planned. LOL
    This really looks good (both ways)!! I need to try this.

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  22. The jewelry store element was very clutch :) Well played.. well played!

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  23. LOVE the April Fool's joke (and the ring hehe)! Also, the bread looks absolutely incredible. Cake batter?! Mmmm :)

    Sues

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  24. Haha I love your April Fool's joke! That Pull-Apart bread looks and sounds amazing!! :)So glad to have found your blog!

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  25. Be still my heart! That bread looks so good (words can't really describe it)- I will make it the first chance I get. I was busy all day on April's Fools, so I didn't get to prank anyone this year.

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  26. That looks amazaing!!!!!!!! I want to try this recipe~

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  27. Katie your poor Mom Lol!! OK, I gotta try this recipe. It looks like fun to make. Nice job on all the prep pictures. If I wasn't so darn lazy...

    Laura

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  28. I wish we lived next door to each other so that I could come over and eat this bread. It looks seriously amazing. Wow. Wow. Wow.

    And your April Fool's joke was very well played!

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  29. This looks unbeleivable! YUM!! And nice job on pranking your Mom! lol I got my sister really good, and I think she's still mad at me : / lol

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  30. This is really nice, Katie, and one of the most interesting baked goods I've seen in some time. Great job! I'm so glad you came to my blog, so that I got to learn about yours.

    Ben
    http://kissthecook-ben.blogspot.com/

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  31. I'm pretty sure if I did that, my mom would KILL me just cause her heart would break when she found out it wasn't true haha.

    Cake batter pull apart bread?!?!? I'm so enamored.

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  32. hahah I LOVE the April Fool's joke! You were able to get a lot of people with that one :P
    The bread looks amazing, too! I've never seen anything quite like it...but by the sounds of it, I have no idea why that is!

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  33. Haha! That's an amazing April Fool's. Such a good idea - but I think it's my mom that would have murdered me if she wasn't in on the joke. That bread looks AMAZING, especially because it's 8am, I've been at work for an hour already... and I'm starving.

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  34. As a mom I can just imagine what your mom was going through! Must say though, brilliant April Fool's joke!!

    And the bread...looks divine!

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  35. THAT LOOKS AWESOME. I reallly want to try that recipe!!

    andd I love your April Fools joke. Your mom sounds so much like mine. ;)

    aaaand SO GLAD YOU LOVE YOUR SHOT GLASS! wahoooo!

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  36. i'm trying this recipe immediately! both loaves look soooo stinkin' good! :D

    i love your april fool's day prank - genius! & your mom's reaction is priceless!

    thanks for linking up to mangia mondays!

    -kristin

    http://delightfullydowling.blogspot.com

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  37. This is such a cool concept - pull apart bread and people are doing it savory and sweet. Looks delish.

    I wanted to thank you for the comment on my blog and pointing me towards "Coconut Development Board" website. I think coconut oil needs a makeover! Nutritional info takes a while to change and this concept seems written in stone! Some actually are shocked at the concept of using coconut oil but will readily slather on the butter. I love unrefined coconut oil. Avocados got a bad rap for a while but they recovered among many other nutritional fallacies. Condemnation comes swift and hard but redemption is slow. Anyway I wanted to let you know I appreciated your comment and love the recipes on your blog.

    Kerala looks like a very beautiful place. I hope I get there one day - but oh so far away.

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  38. Hey love! I just wanted to say thank you for reaching out and commenting on my blog. I am so happy to have discovered your blog because I love it! You're amazing! All of your creations look so incredible. Keep up the amazing work. You're inspiring! Much love <3

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  39. Looks like your bread came out perfect! YUM

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  40. Hahaha, what an awesome April Fool's. That's a pretty huge ring, too! The cinnamon sugar pull looks delicious, I always love desserts like this and monkey bread that you get to eat with your hands :-)

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  41. that is a pretty good april fool's! ^.^ i love pull bread!! this sounds so delishhhh, im gonnahave to make and let you know how that goes!

    i also just wanted to let you know that I'm hosting a RAD giveaway! I'm giving away a HYPSTER BIKINI...they are one of a kind, and you def. wont find anyone rocking one of'em because they are brand new!! check out my blog 4 pictures & deets! ya wont regret i <3

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  42. Katie, that cake looks amazing!!!! I would love some of that right about now.

    You got your mom good! I think mine would have had a heart attack, hehe.

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  43. That was a really funny post! Your poor mom, though..lol

    This pull-apart bread looks amazing. I have to try it:)

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  44. Hahah, that's really funny! The pull-apart looks wonderul, I would love to it soon.

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  45. Wicked joke! And equally, if not more wicked CINNAMON BREAD. I'm dying to have that for brekkie. Pretty sure your mom got over it after having the gooey bread. :)

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  46. I am literally drooling over this bread. Great job (and funny prank!)

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  47. I told everyone I was pregnant. No one believed me.... it makes me want to REALLY be pregnant for next April Fools Day just to BLOW THEIR MINDS.

    ps, these look fantastic. I saw it on Joy's blog as well and have been wanting to try my hand at it too. yummmmmy.

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  48. Oh Katie, I just love your updates! This totally cracked me up! Christopher and I pulled a "we're engaged" prank on a friend one weekend (not April Fools) and before we knew it... the entire campus was asking us about the wedding details (small school, haha!) It took a while for us to clear it all up so everyone was aware that we were still just dating. ;)

    Also, that bread looks so fabulous!

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  49. I love the way this recipe comes out, visually very cool! I have yet to do an aprils fools joke. I need to get on it.

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  50. The bread sounds so scrumptious! And I love the way it looks - so unique. Funny about the joke!

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