Banana-Chip Caramel Ring

A spin off of traditional Monkey Bread!

3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 stick (8 Tbs.) butter (not margarine)
2 (12-oz. each) tubes refrigerated crescent roll dough (Pillsbury Crescent Big & Flaky-8 per tube)
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk *you won't use it all
2-3 ripe bananas, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt brown sugar with the butter over LOW heat.

Break open the crescent rolls and separate the triangles of dough carefully. Brush each triangle with sweetened condensed milk. Top each with 2 banana slices and 1 teaspoon chocolate chips. Fold the edges of each triangle up to form into a ball and seal dough.

Put half of the walnuts in the greased Bundt pan and top with half of the dough balls (8 of them). Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar over each dough ball. Pour half of the melted brown sugar-butter mixture over the dough. Sprinkle with an additional 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon-sugar.

Layer with remainder walnuts, dough balls (the last 8 of them), 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar over each ball, rest of melted brown sugar-butter mixture, and 2 more teaspoons of cinnamon-sugar on top.

Bake 50 minutes (start checking for doneness around 45 minutes). Ring should be puffed, golden brown, and firm to the touch.

Remove pan from oven, and place on rack to cool for 15 minutes. Put a platter on top of the Bundt pan and invert. Slice and serve warm.

Tip: Have all your ingredients already measured out and ready to go, to assemble this quicker.