Mumzie's Monkey Bread

As you all know, I welcome reader-submitted recipes. I have a whole recipe organizer just waiting to be filled, but I need your help.

Answering the call this week was Brighton Patch Editor Nicole Krawcke, who submitted her family's recipe called Mumzie's Monkey Bread.

Here's what Krawcke has to say about this dish:

"Between my husband and I, my mother-in-law is affectionately known as 'Mumzie.' Let me tell you something about Mumzie — she's a great cook. Especially with desserts. There's cherry delight every Thanksgiving and homemade elephant ears every summer during the weekend of the Livonia Spree. She's always finding and trying new recipes — and then tweaking them in her own special way to make them even better than before.

"My all-time favorite dessert would have to be monkey bread. My mother-in-law started making it a few years ago. I wasn't sure how it would taste at first — it didn't look that appetizing.

"But as my 14-year-old sister-in-law, Sara, says, "It's an explosion of banana and chocolate goodness!"

If you, like Krawcke, have a recipe you want to share, email it to White Lake Patch Editor Brooke Meier at brooke.meier@patch.com. Include with the recipe an explanation of why you love that particular dish and where the recipe originated.

To make Mumzie's Monkey Bread, you'll need the following:

• 1/3 c. shortening
• ½ c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/3 c. sifted flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ c. chopped walnuts
• 1 c. very ripe mashed banana
• 1 c. Hershey’s chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a loaf pan (9½ by 5 by 3 inches) and preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Next, mix together shortening, sugar and eggs — then set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to shortening mix. Then add banana and mix well. Stir in walnuts, then stir in chocolate chips, without overmixing. Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

For step-by-step instructions on how to make this recipe, scroll through the photo gallery.