Chocolate-Filled Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread Muffins (to be enjoyed from the depths of Korea)

I’m still sitting here trying to blink back tears. Seajin, my dear friend, you’ll be sorely missed.

I honestly don’t even know how to write this. I don’t feel eloquent in my words or funny at all. All I can do is just get it out…just get it out because maybe then I won’t be so sad.

I met Seajin when he moved into my friend’s apartment as a random roommate. He needed a place ASAP and gave my other friend who wasn’t planning to move out until the end of the month a deal he couldn’t refuse. In the span of 5 mins, my friend was going to be swapped out in 3 days by this new guy. Needless to say, I was not pleased at first. Selfish? Definitely. I just was sad that my friend had to move back home and hoped that he would still come to our outings (which he did ).

However, when my friend moved out, I didn’t realize that another one had just moved in. Seajin is funny, sweet, and down to party. Not that we’re crazy party-goers necessarily, Seajin just knew his shit when it came to Korean drinking games and was always down to dance.

I remember everyone screaming and laughing because my friend got royally screwed while playing one of his drinking games Seajin taught us. I also remember trying to muffle my laughter by not breathing so that I wouldn’t lose at Silent 007…which the same friend also really sucked at. Even thinking about it makes me chuckle.

Everyone in our little friend circle came to know and love Seajin. He came to many a potluck. And he humored me when it came to my strange poses in pictures. See?

That’s friendship you can’t fake

So when I found out his summer internship was over and he had to move out while looking for another internship, I was nervous and sad already. Everyone else told me to not worry…it’ll be fine…it’s no big deal. But me? I’m a worrywart. It’s more like I just don’t like to see people go especially when he was so adamant on still living in Los Angeles.

Our going away party for him was very low key. I wanted to send him off with a bang! But no one else seemed interested… When I had to leave because I had a charity walk early the next day, I was super sad. He seemed hopeful that he would be back soon and everyone else told me not to let it get to me. I was still sad when I hugged him for the last time and promised to visit him in Nevada when I could.

I found out yesterday via text that he has to go back to Korea TODAY. Honestly, I don’t even know what he said to me in terms of why because it was so complicated. All I know is that my friend is leaving. I really don’t care if people think I care too much about my friends or people around me. The point is I CARE.

I called him immediately. I could hear it in his voice. How much he wanted to stay here. How much he missed all of us. How much he wished there was another way to stay. I also gathered that he probably won’t be back…and if he will, then it’ll be a long time coming. I was stunned. He was in shock too because he only found out YESTERDAY. How horrifyingly abrupt is that? Almost as scary as this zombie picture of us…

I hope to visit one day. I hope to see him again. Until then, Seajin, I hope you enjoy these little goodies I baked in your honor since I know how much you love cinnamon. We’re going to miss you so so much.

Chocolate-Filled Cinnamon Sugar Monkey Bread Muffins

Makes 12 muffins
*Amended from this recipe

Ingredients:

1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (16 oz) can refrigerated biscuit dough like “Pillsbury Grands! Flaky Biscuits” (8 biscuits)
1 bag of semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 TBSP unsalted butter
1 tsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Equipment:

Muffin pan
Cupcake liners
Sauce pan
Ziploc bag
Spoon
Rubber spatula

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill your muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Put the first two ingredients (1 tsp cinnamon + 1 cup white sugar) in the Ziploc bag and shake it up so it’s well incorporated. Set aside.

Remove the biscuit dough from the can and cut each piece into 6-8. I cut them into triangles like this.

Flatten the piece with the palm of your hand and place a few mini chocolate chips in the center of the cut piece.

Fold and roll each piece into a ball shape. Drop it into the cinnamon sugar mixture in the Ziploc bag. Close the bag and shake it up so that each ball is well coated.

Distribute the pieces amongst the cupcake liners. I put 4-5 pieces per liner.

Melt the brown sugar, butter, and water at low-medium heat.

Melt and continuously stir using a rubber spatula until bubbly/frothy, like this.

Then add the 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Remove from heat only once all the sugar is completely melted so that the consistency is smooth. The color will be much darker after the vanilla is added.

Spoon sauce over the dough pieces in the cupcake liners. Sprinkle leftover cinnamon sugar (if applicable) over the sauce. Just a small sprinkle, nothing too crazy like mine which ended up oozing the brown sugar mixture all over the place.