Avid Inkling

Today Gavin had to work, so to pass the time, I did three loads of laundry, and took Mike along to Market Basket. When we got home, I made Chocolate Orange Sweet Rolls with Orange Glaze, the recipe below is not the exact one I used, but it was the closest one I could find to the one in Bon Appetit (Mom got me a subscription).

This is the first Bon Appetit recipe I have tried, usually they’ve got long scary names and you have to have a dictionary of cooking terminology to understand them.

I was very excited when the yeast rose, there really wasn’t any where warm in the morning (the sun was hiding, and we’d turned the AC on in the office), so I nestled the bowl of rising yeast in the freshly dried warm laundry.

After about 30 minutes, the dough had doubled in size! I did a little happy dance and Mike looked at me like I was crazy. It was a fairly straight forward recipe, and fun to make. I got a little mixed up with the directions but I don’t think that’ll adversely effect the outcome.

Chocolate Orange Sweet Rolls with Orange Glaze

3/4 cup milk whole
7 tbl orange juice divided 1/4 c. + 3 T
10 tbl butter divided 1/4 c. + 6 T, room temperature
2 x eggs large
3/4 cup sugar divided 1/4 + 1/2
1 tbl orange peel grated
1 tsp salt
1 tbl active dry yeast
4 cup flour
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbl Cointreau or orange juice
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Method :
Butter two 9″ diameter cake pans.

Combine milk, 1/4 cup orange juice & 4 T. butter in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture registers 120F on thermometer. Whisk eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, orange peel & salt in large bowl. Gradually whisk in heated milk mixture. Add yeast, then flour, mixing until dough is moist. Knead dough on floured work surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll 1 piece on floured work surface into 12 x 18″ rectangle. Spread with 3 t. butter; sprinkle evenly with 1/3 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup sugar. Roll up from 1 long side; pinch log at seam to seal. Slice log into 12 rolls; place rolls, cut side down & side by side, in single layer in one prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough, butter, chocolate chips & sugar. Cover rolls loosely; let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F. Stir cream and Cointreau together; drizzle evenly over rolls. Bake until rolls are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.

Cool 15 minutes. (Can also be made 1 day ahead; cool completely in pans. Cover & store at room temperature…rewarm in 350F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes. I have also frozen these, wrapped securely in zipper freezer bags, they came through fine.)

Whisk powdered sugar with enough orange juice to make a thick glaze, adding 1 T. juice at a time. Remove rolls from pan; spread with glaze. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature

Although I havn’t tried the rolls yet, I did try some of the caked on oozie goodness on the side of the pan, caramalized orangey goodness. I will be sure to update after we’ve tried them! They look delicious!

More pictures in my Yahoo Photo Cooking Album!!

UPDATE: We warmed some up for breakfast this morning (Sunday) and they’re fantastic. I was in the kitchen and I heard Gavin’s voice from the dining room “Is this chocolate?” (he thought they were blueberries or rasins or something) “They’re called Chocolate Orange Sweet Rolls.” So yes, there is chocolate.