Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Chocolate-Filled and Cinnamon Rolls *UPDATE*

I sprinkled chocolate shavings on top of the chocolate-filled rolls.

I was trying be inventive. I was trying to combine two cravings into one: chocolate and cinnamon roll dough with a warm glaze. I didn't want to combine cinnamon and brown sugar with the chocolate. I just wanted pure, unadulterated chocolate with bread and a glaze.
The chocolate is peeking through!

That is how I thought of making chocolate-filled rolls. Once I started applying the melted, milk chocolate on top of the melted butter, though, I became hesitant. I decided to make a regular cinnamon roll on the other half of the dough just in case I didn't like the chocolate half, and I'm glad I did.
The chocolate layer on the left and cinnamon/brown sugar on the right.

The chocolate half was boring. It had nothing special going for it. In fact, it made the regular side taste even more fabulous. I used my go-to cinnamon roll recipe for this because I love how the dough rolls out and how easy it is to put together.

*UPDATE* I tried vanilla buttercream frosting on the chocolate-filled rolls, and they instantly tasted a million times better. I used this recipe for the frosting. So, maybe it was the paring of the cream cheese frosting and chocolate I didn't like too much. I bet a plain powdered sugar/milk glaze would work just as well, too. I take back what I said about the chocolate rolls. They are truly amazing now! YUM!
It's been a long time since I've made these rolls for me and not for my "step-daughters". I still felt a bit guilty eating them even though the girls had no idea I was doing it haha. Anyway, next time I will just stop messing with a good thing because the cinnamon roll section was amazing.
The next morning: top: dough fresh out of the refrigerator; bottom: risen dough

This post has been submitted to yeastspotting!

Chocolate-Filled and Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast (I use active yeast)
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup margarine (or butter), melted (and slightly cooled b/c of the eggs)
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 1/2 cups bread flour

Chocolate Filling:
1/3 cup butter, softened
5-8 ounces of milk, semi-sweet, or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used milk)

Cinnamon Filling (USE IT ALL! :D):
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
(optional add-ins: raisins, apples, nuts, etc.)

Cream Cheese Frosting (I suggest doubling this part if you like a lot of icing):
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (you could use 4 ounces)
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
(For instructions using a bread machine, go to the allrecipes website.)

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl (or stand mixer). Mix in the sugar, margarine (or butter), salt, and eggs. Add flour and mix well. Knead the dough into a large ball (or use the dough hook for about 5 minutes), using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle (I don't measure the dough; I just make sure it's thin enough...but then again, I've made these a lot.).

Chocolate Filling: Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter, spread melted chocolate on top.

Cinnamon Filling: Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. (I saw the following tip on another website from someone who claimed to have worked at Cinnabon: lightly roll the cinnamon/sugar/butter mixture into the dough. I then pat it down with my hand until it is well-meshed or integrated into the rolled-out dough.)

Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. (I almost always overnight these by placing them in the refrigerator at this point. I then take them out of the fridge 60 minutes before baking time and then throw them in the oven.) Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake rolls in a preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then add confectioners' (or icing) sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

32 comments:

  1. mmm....these cakes are very tasty...wonderful...a kiss

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  2. That's too bad the chocolate ones didn't live up to your expectations. I bet you were so glad you did half regular. I need to try your recipe. Un desayuno perfecto.

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  3. love the 2-in-1 concept, very creative and yummy looking ^^

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  4. Me encantaaan! Deben de estar aún más buenos con chocolate. Te han quedado estupendos. Saludos

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  5. Mmmm yummy...too bad the chocolate didn't work for ya, but I do like the idea of making one half this way and the other half that way.

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  6. I tend to think that cinnamon is, as a rule, much more enchanting than chocolate is. The rolls certainly look delicious!

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  7. I'm surprised the chocolate rolls weren't more of a hit - I guess it pays to stick with a good thing. They look beautiful!

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  8. No WAY! I just posted about cinnamon rolls too. Great minds think alike! And you put chocolate in yours!! OMG. That is like heaven in a roll. I will surely do that next time!!

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  9. Oh my! These look soooo incredible!

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  10. In Hungary chocolate cinnamon roll -like buns are very very popular. There really are no cinnamon buns like we have here in the US. But there is no chocolate syrup used in them. They're every bit of delicious though! I just posted cinnamon buns too and thought to myself - next time i want to try to replicate the Hungarian cocoa buns. You're ahead of me!! :p They look delicious!

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  11. Thank you, sweetheart! Your cinnamon rolls look like they came from a professional bakery, Memoria!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yummy and light, sweet and filling! I would love to have one (or two) for breakfast with a cup of coffee made from your expresso maker gift :o)

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  12. Shut up! Chocolate and cinnamon together?! I'm so sorry these weren't what you were expecting, because they sound and look incredible!

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  13. I can feel the sweet this of this cinnamon right now. OMG, im drooling.

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  14. I do remember the last time you blogged about these. Your cinnamon rolls look amazing, always always, Memória! Mine will forever turn out disfigured and uneven. :(

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  15. I'll take ten please! They sound soooooo good.

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  16. I think you should have sprinkled your chocolate shavings onto the cinnamon part instead of keeping them separated. Seems so cruel! Then you'd have had some sort of Mexican chocolate cinnamon rolls, right?

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  17. this further proves my belief that cinnamon is superior to chocolate in every way. :)

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  18. Olá, amiga!
    Conheci seu cantinho... amei!
    Lindo, criativo, nutritivo e delicioso!...
    Sucesso!!!
    Itabira - Brasil

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  19. I'm sad the chocolate side didn't come out as good as you'd hoped b/c it's such a great idea!! What if you mixed it up with the brown sugar and cinnamon or sprinkled chocolate chips on top of the butter, sugar and cinnamon?? This is making me want to do some cinnamon roll experiments!

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  20. Hi Memoria, I followed a comment from Esi's blog and so glad I did. Not only am I faced with these scrumptious rolls but life-changing cake as well! Awesome. Will drop by more often :)

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  21. Hmmm, chocolate or cinnamon sugar? UH, cinnamon sugar please! :)

    Btw, how do you get such perfect looking rolls?
    ~ingrid

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  22. I LOVE THESE. Yumm!

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  23. Your rolls look so perfect and pretty!

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  24. I can't believe you were able to make one of my favorite desserts even more indulgent. LOVE IT :).

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  25. I think you should make a chocolate babka recipe and instead of twisting it roll it into cinnamon buns. I mean why not, it's a soft yeast dough and has chocolate and cinnamon in the filling, right?

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  26. I have been forever searching for my "go to" cinnamon roll recipe and I have found it at last - right here on your site!! Since reading this recipe, I have made your "original cinnamon roll" recipe 3 times!! in TWO days! I am in LOVE with the look and certainly the taste of these rolls! Thank you for sharing it!
    BTW, how thick should the dough be when rolled out to 16x21 rectangle? How thick do you slice each to get the 12 pieces?

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  27. Now I'm curious about your recipe, too! I'm going ot have to try it!

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  28. I do love the idea of having a chocolate roll!! I have done the cinnamon and am crazy for it, but I am crazy for chocolate too.

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  29. great idea! nice tip too on rolling the cinnamon into the dough.

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