It was not baking weather -- a steamy 88 degrees -- but a week of disappointing news had put me in a baking mood.
This recipe is the brainchild of the newspaper's Family and HomeStyle Editor, Kim Christ. Kim is also an avid cook and food frequently fills our conversations. After mentioning I felt a nervous baking session coming on, Kim suggested something yeasty like cinnamon rolls. As we talked about flavor possibilities, Kim lamented the absence of chocolate cinnamon rolls. And the idea for this recipe was born.
The recipe itself is an amalgamation of recipes from various sources. It takes quite a bit of time to prepare, but the rolls are delicious the day after they are baked, so there's no need get up at 3 a.m. to bake a batch -- unless you're already suffering from a bad case of stress-induced insomnia from a string of bad news. And in that case they may just be the ideal way to get some of that nervous energy out and fulfill a sugar craving in one shot.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
For the cinnamon rolls:
3/4 cup 2 percent milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
12 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature, divided use
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
2 eggs
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and dusting
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast (see note)
Vegetable oil
1 cup unrefined sugar such as Sugar in the Raw
2 tablespoons roasted cinnamon such as McCormick Gourmet Collection Roasted Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
Dash ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 (3-ounce) discs Mexican hot chocolate such as Abuelita, chopped
For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk, or more
Splash vanilla extract
In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk, half-and-half, 4 tablespoons of the butter, the granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. Microwave on 100 percent power for 1 minute or until mixture is warm and butter melts.
Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of the warm milk into the eggs, then add the egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 31/2 cups flour and the yeast and stir on low speed to combine. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix on low until a soft dough forms, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Continue mixing and adding flour, a tablespoon or so at a time, until dough pulls away from the bowl. Remove paddle and attach dough hook. Sprinkle dough with about 1 tablespoon of flour and knead on low, adding flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and springs back when you press it with a finger. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. Transfer dough to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour. (If using packet yeast, dough may need an additional 30 minutes.)
In a medium bowl, stir together the unrefined sugar, cinnamon, chile powder, espresso powder and cayenne; set aside.
Coat the bottom of a 10-by-15-inch baking pan or 2 (9-inch) square baking pans with 4 tablespoons of the butter. Sprinkle butter with a little of the sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into an 8-by-16-inch rectangle. Spread each portion with the remaining butter, and then sprinkle with the sugar-cinnamon, followed by the chocolate. Tightly roll each rectangle into a 16-inch cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut each cylinder into 20 to 22 slices.
Arrange slices, spiral-side up, in the prepared baking pan.
Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
During the last 15 minutes of rising, heat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake rolls until puffy and browned, about 13 minutes. Cool completely.
For the glaze, stir together the confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and the vanilla. If a thinner glaze is desired, stir in more milk. Drizzle glaze over cooled rolls.
Makes about 40 small cinnamon rolls.
Note: One (.25-ounce) envelope active dry yeast can be used, but the dough will need slightly more time to rise.
Food on 09/03/2014