There’s nothing like the smell of fresh pastry baking in the oven when it’s cold outside. These chocolate chip rolls have the most addictive smell once baking – it’s a a sweet breakfast bread pastry filled with chocolate, almonds and praline paste (caramelized hazelnuts paste), and it’s the best thing to have a long with your coffee cup in a lazy Saturday morning.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Almond Chocolate Chip Rolls
For the dough:
- 500 grams (3 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10 grams (2 tsp.) instant dry yeast
- 75 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) soft butter
- 2 large eggs
- 125 ml. (1/2 cup) milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For almond and chocolate chip filling:
- 200 grams dark chocolate
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) butter
- 50 grams (2 1/2 tbsp.) praline paste
- 100 grams (1 cup) chopped almonds
- 50-100 grams dark or white chocolate chips
- Beaten egg for brushing
For the syrup:
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
- 120 ml. (1/2 cup) water
- Dough: in a bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook put flour, yeast, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and salt and knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is smooth.
- Form a round shape of the dough, put in a bowl, cover and let rise until the dough doubles in volume.
- Chocolate, almond and praline filling: chop the chocolate and place in a bowl.
- Add butter and praline paste and solvents together in the microwave until everything is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Cool the mixture in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a spreadable texture.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 1-2 cm thick.
- Spread the filling evenly and sprinkle some chopped almonds and chocolate chips. Roll the dough tightly.
- Use a sharp knife and cut the roll into 5-6 cm wide roses. Place in a lightly greased pan.
- Cover the pan with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until it nearly doubles in volume.
- Preheat oven to 170c degrees.
- Gently brush the cake with some beaten egg.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the cake is golden and set.
- Syrup: in a small pot put water and sugar and heat to a boil.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes after boiling and remove from heat.
- Brush the cake generously with warm syrup.
- Cool slightly and serve.
- You can use any type of nuts instead of almonds.
- It is important not to give up the syrup because it makes the cake moist and keeps it soft.
- The rolls are at their best when freshly baked, but you can wrap and freeze it for up to 2 weeks.
- Defrost and warm a little before serving.
- If you don’t have praline paste you can use Nutella spread.
Photo: Natalie Levin