It seems like my children never sleep past 7:30. Ever. They are super-early risers who wake up ready to go; they are just little balls of energy. But on a recent morning, they surprised me by sleeping until well past 8:30! With an unexpected quiet morning hour on my hands, I decided that it was a perfect time to make a fun, delicious treat like this Chocolate Swirl Monkey Bread.

This baked delight is similar in texture to cinnamon rolls, except it's filled with chocolate and baked in a ring. Grab-and-pull breads are so fun, and this one is no exception! You could easily double this recipe to add more layers and make a bigger Monkey Bread to feed more people, but for breakfast in my house, this single layer one is perfect.

In terms of the actual making part, this is beyond easy to create. It has an ultra-short ingredients list (you may even already have all these ingredients on hand) and takes mere minutes to put together and arrange in the pan. After its all in, just slide the pan into the oven and bake. Then wait until the air fills with the scent of mouthwatering chocolate-y pastry -- no one in the house will be able to resist!

On the morning that I made this, just after I pulled the bread from the oven, I heard the sounds of my children waking up. By the time they emerged from their room, the table was set and the bread waiting.

My reward? A breathless, "Wow, Mommy!"

So, who are you going to make it for?

Ingredients

• vegetable oil spray
• 1 tube crescent roll dough from the dairy/refrigerated section of your grocer

• ½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread
  (like Nutella)
• ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.
Spray the inside of a bundt cake pan with cooking spray and set aside
3.
Line a cutting board with waxed paper. Spread the crescent roll dough out into one flat, rectangular layer on your waxed paper
4.
Use a butter knife to spread the chocolate hazelnut spread over the dough in one thin, smooth layer
5.
Sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the dough, taking care to cover all edges with chocolate chips. The chocolate hazelnut spread will hold them in place

6.
Carefully roll your dough into a long, tight spiral log, starting by rolling in one of the long sides. Use the waxed paper as a guide and fold the edges of one long side in and continue to roll it until the dough forms a spiral log

7.
Use a serrated knife to carefully cut the dough log into ¾ inch sections

8.
Finally, arrange the dough pieces in your bundt pan. Stand the spirals on one doughy end, side-by-side, all around the bundt pan; they will expand upon baking

9.
Slide the bundt cake pan into the oven and cook for 20 - 25 minutes, until the dough has risen and browned all over
10.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Then turn out onto a serving plate and serve immediately

Tips

Look for crescent dough in the refrigerated section of your grocer. If they have it, purchase a tube that says it is NOT perforated, as it will be easier to manipulate.

Need to feed a big crowd? This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Simply add some additional cooking time on to ensure that the dough cooks all the way through.