Peppermint Mocha Rolls
Chocolate Roll Dough
3 ½ to 4 cups flour
½ cups cocoa powder
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder or 1 tablespoon coffee
1 cup milk (about 95 degrees)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 egg
In a bowl, mix together milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 3 minutes until yeast is bubbly.
Whisk in the egg, coffee, and butter.
Add dry ingredients slowly. Mix until dough is smooth and elastic.
Once smooth, round the dough into a ball. Grease a bowl, place the dough in and cover with plastic wrap.
Let proof for 1 hour.
Make filling and icing.
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured surface, roll out to approximately a 16-by-18 inch rectangle.
Spread the filling evenly.
With the 16-inch side closest to you, tightly roll the dough until you have a 16-inch wide log
Cut 12 pieces, each 1 1/2 inch wide pieces.
Place these in a greased baking dish and cover with plastic wrap; let rise 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
When cool, smear icing over the tops and sprinkle with crushed peppermint.
Chocolate Filling
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon coffee
Mix together. If the filling doesn’t spread easily, add 1 teaspoon of coffee.
Peppermint Cream Cheese Icing
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Pinch of salt
In a bowl, whip together the cream cheese and butter for 3 minutes on medium to high speed. Add in the extract and salt. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully combined, then whip at high speed for 1 minute.
Sydney Bliss is a Rockbridge High School senior. Recently, she won the national SkillsUSA Baking and Pastry Arts Competition and was awarded a full-ride scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Bliss enjoys working at Belly Market & Rotisserie, riding her motorcycle around town and baking.