Monkey bread is a knotty-looking loaf of sweet bread made from balls of dough coated with cinnamon, sugar and melted butter. It’s served warm so the sticky pieces can be pulled apart.

The name “monkey” refers to how you eat this sweet treat—with your hands.

MONKEY BREAD

By America’s Test Kitchen

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled
• Vegetable oil spray
• 1 pound pizza dough, room temperature

>> Glaze:

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk

In small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place melted butter in second small bowl. Spray 8-inch round pan with vegetable oil.

Spray counter lightly with vegetable oil. Place dough on greased counter; pat into 6-inch square.

Use shears to cut dough into 36 pieces. Roll each into ball. Dip each ball in melted butter, roll in brown sugar mixture.

Place balls in greased pan, covering bottom in single layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave in warm place 1-2 hours, until puffy.

Heat oven to 350 degrees with oven rack in middle position.

Discard plastic wrap. Bake monkey bread until light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool pan on rack 5 minutes (no longer). Place large plate on top of pan, then carefully flip monkey bread onto plate. Let cool 10 more minutes.

Combine glaze ingredients in small bowl. Drizzle over monkey bread. Serve warm. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 280 calories, 10 g total fat, 6 g saturated fat, 23 mg cholesterol, 443 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 18 g sugar, 3 g protein.