Hot Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Ingrédients

Dough

480 ml milk

115 g salted butter

50g light brown sugar

7g quick rise dry yeast

630g strong white bread flour

30g dark fine cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

Filling

180g butter, softened

100g light brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

20g dark cocoa powder

100g dark chocolate chips

50g mini marshmallows

Chocolate Frosting

110g cream cheese, room temperature

100g icing sugar

50g fine dark cocoa powder

180 g double cream, room temp*

100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled to room temp

Instructions

In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar and butter over medium heat. Heat until the butter has melted and then remove from the heat. Leave to cool to 98.6° - 102.2°F, or similar to a warm bath.

Gently mix the yeast into the milk and cover so the yeast can activate. A healthy activated yeast will start to pop to the top and bubble - the top of the mixture should be foamy and frothy.

In a large bowl, add 600g of the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Pour the activated yeast mixture in. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and put the covered dough into a warm place for at least an 1 hour. It should double in size.

Whilst the dough is rising, make the filling. Add the soft butter to a small bowl. Pour in the cinnamon, cocoa powder and brown sugar and gently press this into the butter using a fork. Mix until you have a spreadable paste. Set aside.

Remove the cover of the risen dough and add the remaining flour. Gently knead the dough (either in a stand mixer with a dough hook or by hand) adding additional flour as necessary, just until the dough loses its stickiness.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out into a large rectangle.

Spread the chocolate cinnamon butter over the dough followed by the chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Cut the dough into 6 pieces for giant rolls, or 9 for smaller rolls. Roll tightly.

Place the rolls in a lined and greased tin then cover and leave to rise again in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap. Bake the rolls at 350˚F for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Whilst the rolls are baking make the frosting. In a stand mixer whisk the ingredients together until creamy.

Cover the rolls whilst still warm and then leave to set for about 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Key Ingredients

Strong Bread Flour: The trick to keeping the cinnamon rolls soft and fluffy is bread flour as it has a higher protein level to help lighten the cinnamon rolls. The protein helps to produce more gluten, which gives cinnamon roll the chewy, soft texture you know and love.

Quick rise instant yeast: use quick rise or instant yeast in this recipe to help the cinnamon rolls rise faster.

Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar in the dough, both for flavor and to feed the yeast, and sweet flavor in those cinnamon swirls.

Butter: You’ll need it for the dough, filling and icing.

Milk: I recommend using milk with at least 2% fat content. This recipe works with both dairy and nondairy milk.

Dark cocoa powder: use a high quality cocoa powder with 100% cocoa solids - its dark colour and rich flavour will make the flavour and texture so rich and gooey.

* Double cream is not the same as heavy cream, and is basically impossible to find in the US. (Don't use Devon Double Cream, flavor is apparently awful!)

Double cream has 48% fat content where as heavy cream has 36-38%. Can use whole milk where it calls for milk to increase this count some (whole milk is 4% milk fat) or add butter (not sure how much).