Chocolate Lover's Cinnamon Ring
Submitted by pasionit
Cocoa-laced yeast dough swirled with cinnamon, chocolate chips, and toasted almonds, shaped into a gorgeous ring and drizzled with Kahlua cream icing. A brunch showstopper.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis is the kind of bread that makes people cancel their brunch reservations.
A soft, chocolate-infused yeast dough gets rolled out, brushed with melted butter, and loaded with a filling of cinnamon sugar, semisweet chocolate pieces, and toasted almonds.
Then you roll it up jelly-roll style, shape it into a ring, and snip the edges so each section fans open like a crown.
After baking, the whole thing gets a lazy drizzle of Kahlua cream icing that pools into every swirl and crevice.
Set this on the table and watch the room go quiet for about three seconds before everybody lunges.
Chef Tips
- The dough should be soft and slightly tacky after kneading. Resist adding too much flour or you’ll lose that pillowy texture.
- Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot. Inside the oven with just the light on works great.
- When cutting the slits around the ring, use a sharp knife or kitchen shears and don’t cut all the way through. You want the sections to fan, not separate.
- No Kahlua? Strong brewed coffee works as a substitute in the icing and still gives that bittersweet depth.
Ingredients
Directions
2¾ to 3¼ cups flour ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 package active dry yeast ⅔ cup milk ⅓ cup butter ⅓ cup sugar ¾ teaspoon salt 2 eggs 2 tablespoons butter -- melted ¼ cup sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ¾ cup semisweet chocolate pieces ¼ cup sliced almonds -- toasted Kahlua Cream Icing 1 cup powdered sugar -- sifted 1 tablespoon Kahlua (or strong brewed coffee) 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, ½ & ½ or cream 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted -- for garnish Sift together 3¼ cups of the flour, cocoa powder, and the yeast in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Heat and stir milk, the ⅓ cup butter, the ⅓ cup sugar and salt in a small saucepan until warm and butter begins to melt. Add to flour mixture. Add eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Kead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (about 3 to 5 minutes). Shape dough into a ball; place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease the surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1to 1½ hours or until doubled in size. Meanwhile make filling. Combine the ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon, chocolate pieces and the ¼ cup almonds. Set aside until needed. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Grease a baking sheet. Roll dough into a 20 x 12” rectangle. Brush melted butter over dough. Sprinkle filling over dough rectangle. Roll up dough, jelly roll style, starting from one of the long sides. Pinch seams to seal. Place roll, seam side down on the preaped baking sheet. Bring ends together to form a ring. Pinch ends together to seal ring. Flatthen ring slightly; outside diameter will be about 8". Using a sharp knife, make 16 cuts around the edge of the dough at about 3¼ inch intervals, cutting about ¾ of the way to the center. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes of until nearly double in size. Bake in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cover with foil after 20 minutes, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning. Remove ring from baking sheet; let cool slightly on a wire rack. Drizzle with Kahlua Cream Icing and sprinkle with almonds. For icing: Combine all icing ingredients, except almonds, in a small mixing bowl. Add more milk (or cream) a few drops at a time, if necessary, to make icing of drizzling consistency.
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