Cinna-Bana-cranberry Pull-apart Loaf

I've never been one for cutting corners when it comes to baking, but hey ... we've all gotta do it sometime. I have occasionally indulged with the box of Betty Crocker Brownies (OMG I love them, they're so easy, fudgy and delicious!) but I have never really branched out into the use of Pillsbury products. So, the other day while I was wandering through Safeway I noticed that Pillsbury biscuits were on sale... what could I do but fall for their cheap marketing ploy. I bought 2 cans :P

Bringing the cans home, I gave them a good inspection. Each can/tube comes with 10 country biscuit inside and the can said don't freeze!! My bad, I had already stuck one of the cans in the freezer while I decided to use the other can straight away... hm, I should probably take it out now. Anyhow, I looked around my kitchen and saw a wonderous world of potential in terms of ingredients... I was ready to make tasty dessert...

Here's the can, hanging out inside of a 2lbs loaf-tin (8x4x2-inch).

Here are the chopped up ingredients. Note how similar chopped up biscuits and hacked up bananas look... and they both do not resemble cranberries at all :P

After being baked for 20mins! Nice and fluffy

Jo's Sweet Cinna-Bana-cranberry Pull-apart Loaf

Ingredients:
- 1 can of Pillsbury Country Biscuits (10 biscuits)
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 medium banana
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Method:
1. Cut each Pillsbury Biscuit into quarters, set aside
2. Cut up the banana into chunks and toss together with the cranberries, set this mixture aside
3. In an 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pan, combine the melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.
4. Place the banana mixture ontop of the brown sugar + butter mixture, spreading it evenly.
5. Take the Pillsbury Biscuit quarters and place them on top of the banana mixture in the pan. Place the biscuits in a single layer (you'll end up squishing the pieces together, this is good... keep squishing so that you make a single layer of biscuit)
6. Place the loaf in a 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. Note: if after 10 minutes the top biscuits begin to brown but the inside remains uncooked, cover the loaf with a sheet of aluminum-foil and continue baking until the 20 minutes is reached or the loaf is cooked all the way through.
7. When the loaf is completely cooked, and no raw biscuits remain, take the hot loaf-pan out of the oven. Using oven mitts of a towel, invert the loaf onto a serving plate while the loaf is still hot.
8. Let the butter-brown sugar mixture drip down the sides of the loaf, allowing the syrup to moisten the entire loaf for at least 3 minutes. Serve warm (preferably with ice cream!)

Oh my goodness, I definitely know what I'm going to be doing with that other tube of Pillsbury Biscuits... make another pull apart loaf. The banana aroma was intoxicating and the buttery-sugary goodness dripping down the chunks of biscuit dough were to die for. My sister loved the "pull-apartness" of the loaf; I too enjoyed the simplicity of not having to use utensils and just using your fingers to grab at the timbit sized chunks of sugary goodness. Perhaps next time I make a pull-apart loaf I'll try apple-cinnamon-raisin, or some other tasty combination ... If you have any suggestions, I welcome them! Anywho, I should probably get back to working on my Nursing term-paper... I haven't even started yet!!