Stracciatella Sweet Rolls

These are a 10, ten, Ten, TEN. They are good. Okay, maybe I'm a little too confident. My man rated them a 9 out of 10. And one of my best girlfriends rated them a 8.5 out of 10. That's a pretty good rating especially for two people who went to the higher level high schools here in the Netherlands. I'm told it's pretty much impossible to earn a 10. Unlike the United States where A's are given left and right. Just sayin' ...so in my opinion anything above 8 is pretty much the same thing as a 10.

Anyway, I was walking through the Aldi checking out new products when I come across Stracciatella boterham pasta - that's Dutch for sandwich spread. That's one of the sweet things about living in Europe... we don't just have Nutella - we have just about anything you can think of to spread on bread. So, I see it and grab a jar of it and try it out at home immediately... and to be honest, on bread it's a bit boring... but I know I can do something more with it. I try it sandwiched between to ginger cookies and I like it. 


Yeah so I figured it would be better as dessert, obviously.


I knew I would need to create a Stracciatella sweet roll that featured this spread. So, I did. But I didn't just smear it inside regular dough - I made the dough -  yes, but I sprinkled it and kneaded it throughout with chocolate pieces. Then I topped the baked rolls with more yummy delish stracciatella glaze - three times we have stracciatella and it works. It's just plain awesome. They are so good... and for once, I'll be making these for Thanksgiving dessert instead of pumpkin sweet rolls - which, let's admit - are a little overdone. Pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cinnamon rolls - I've had enough pumpkin... I'm having stracciatella!


I like to think of myself as trend setter - I'm just ahead of my time.


I go back to the Aldi, only about a week later, and this stuff is completely cleaned out... so I searched and I hoped and down under all the caramel sandwich spread, I find one lone jar of stracciatella spread - yes... it's mine, it's all mine!

• In a large glass bowl, combine 2 tablespoons warm milk and 1 package vanilla sugar plus 1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast. Let rest. 
• Add in 1/2 cup slightly warm milk, 1/4 cup caster sugar, and 1/4 cup light colored oil (vegetable oil) plus 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix in 2 to 2 1/4 cups white all purpose flour. Knead until dough is not too sticky and then put into oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. 
• Let rise in warm place until doubled. After about one hour, punch down dough. Knead in about 2 tablespoons dark chocolate flavored flakes or finely chopped dark chocolate pieces. Let rest 10-20 minutes. 

• Roll out into rectangle. Spread with 1/4 to 1/3 cup Stracciatella sandwich spread and sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon gingerbread or pumpkin pie spice over that. Roll up and cut into 8 equal slices. Place into a buttered glass casserole or pie plate. Let rise again in warm place till doubled - about 30 minutes. 

• Bake in preheated oven 175-C for 10 minutes, then adjust the heat to 150-C and continue to bake 5-10 minutes till dough springs back lightly when touched. Remove from oven. Let cool slightly. 
• Prepare glaze: mix together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon clear vanilla extract. Blend in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dark chocolate flakes. Then stir in about 2 tablespoons stracciatella sandwich spread. Drizzle this mixture evenly over rolls. 

Makes 8 sweet rolls that rock - serve warm. Even yummy the next day - just warm them in the microwave for about 30 seconds on high power.

Toblerone-filled Honey and Almond Sweet Rolls

Coarsely chop one Toblerone bar - and try not to eat too much of it - you'll want it on for the rolls.

I've been going through a fun little cookbook called My Best Friend Named Chocolate. It's inspired me to use chocolate more freely in other areas as well. And not just baking chocolate or cocoa - but Toblerone as well. The other day I whipped up a batch of these:

Check out those melted pieces of Toblerone bursting out... now comes the good part... the glaze!

 I used my simple BASIC ROLL MIX. Filled the dough with a slightly spicy yet sweet honey spread. Then I divided the chopped Toblerone evenly over and rolled it up, sliced... and baked 'em. Next came a second helping of more yummy goodness: 

One wicked sweet roll exploding with goodness!

A shiny sweet glaze and toasted almond pieces make this one awesome taste experience. I'm sure to enjoy them again and again.




For 12 rolls use BASIC ROLL MIX or other hot roll mix for your basic dough. So, I do this:

• Combine in a mixing bowl 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, 3/4 cup warm water - let sit to become foamy. Then add 1 egg, beaten and 1/4 cup melted margarine or vegetable oil. Mix in 3 cups BASIC ROLL MIX and extra flour if needed to make a soft, not too sticky elastic ball of dough. Put into a bowl buttered with oil and turn to coat. Place someplace warm like the oven on it's lowest setting for at least an hour to rise, covered with plastic wrap.
• Then prepare filling. Stir together in a small bowl 2 Tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder, 2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine and 1/2 cup agave syrup or honey (I like honey).
• After dough has doubled in size, punch down and let rest 10 minutes. Then roll out on floured surface to good size rectangle shape - about 1 centimeter thick. Spread with filling and coarsely chopped Toblerone. Roll up and slice into 12 equal pieces and place on prepared baking sheets to rise again (about 30 minutes in oven on the lowest setting).
• Prepare frosting and toast almonds, if using. For frosting combine in a mixer 1/4 cup butter or margarine at room temperature, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon almond extract and 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar. Mix well, continue mixing and adding in powdered sugar up to 2 cups total and 2 tablespoons water or milk to thin as desired. Keep beating up to 10 minutes. This makes the frosting nice and fluffy. Great for topping your rolls if you like your frosting piled high - then wait till they cool a little while before you do that otherwise the frosting turns to glaze as it melts all over the place on hot rolls (but I like it this way, too).
• After rolls have doubled a second time, bake in oven at 175-C degrees for 15 minutes or so. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. All ovens are different so really - keep your eye on them. If it needs to go longer - go ahead but I noticed if I tap the top of the bun or lift it a little with the spatula you can see if it's cooked well enough on top and underneath.
• Top with frosting/glaze and toasted almonds. They are very sweet so I suggest serving them with a nice tall and cold glass of milk :)

Shamrock Sweet Rolls

Happy St. Patty's Day!


I really loved this combination of chocolate filled sweet rolls with minty frosting. The dough was moist and not too dry. It was excellent.


I used the BASIC ROLL MIX and then filled it with chocolate mousse filling from Wilton.com and then used up some left over minty frosting we had from a Birthday party at the beginning of the month and just had those sprinkles in the cupboard as well.


Baking sweet rolls just comes naturally to me :)


Simply put four sweet rolls together in the shape of a shamrock or 4-leaf clover and then frost as desired. Serve warm!




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