Sunday, January 25, 2015

Chocolate Date Walnut Rolls

Hello readers, sorry for the long absence! I've basically been busy being a really lame routine person, dedicating most of my time to working out, studying, and my cat. She's actually sleeping next to me right now and I keep pausing every few seconds to stare and pet her (can you understand how typing out one sentence can take forever here?)

So recently I had a craving for some sweet rolled buns. Of course, I love my classic cinnamon bun, but I was just too excited to use the walnuts we cracked for this year and well, chocolate. So say hello to these delicious babies! I also swapped out sugar with maple syrup, which not only gives a nice robust flavor but you get the added benefit of zinc and manganese. Enjoy!



Chocolate Date Walnut Rolls
Makes 16-18 rolls

Dough:
2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
1 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup non-dairy milk
42 g cube fresh yeast or 2 teaspoons of dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil (or coconut, sunflower, rapeseed)
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
100 g chopped dairy-free bittersweet chocolate (or chocolate chips)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
6 finely chopped dried deglet nour dates
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons maple syrup

Heat the non-dairy milk until warm to the touch. Add the yeast, warm water, and a touch of maple syrup. Stir until well combined and set aside.

Mix the flours and salt together. Add the oil and maple syrup and stir. Slowly mix in the yeast mixture, stirring in the meanwhile until everything is well combined and it forms a ball. Cover the bowl with a towel and either let sit in the fridge over night or in a warm place for 1.5 hours

Flour your surface and roll out the dough into a
1/2 cm thick 3:4 rectangle, the longer side facing you. Mix the maple syrup and oil and spread evenly on the dough, using the back of a spoon. Distribute the chocolate, walnuts, and dates over the surface, leaving about a 2 cm edge all around. Roll the dough upwards and pinch and tuck the ends in to complete your roll.

Divide the roll into 16-18 pieces, wetting the knife inbetween to get clean cuts. Distribute the rolls between two baking trays covered in baking paper. Cover with a towel and let rise for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 360ºF/180ºC for about 6 minutes. Bake the rolls for 25 minutes (if it gets darker faster, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil until the baking time is up). Take out and let it cool before taking off the tray. Guten Appetit!



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