Double Chocolate Buns

Are these muffins?  Nope.  Cupcakes?  Nope.  These are in fact what the British refer to as a chocolate "buns".  They are a cross between a cupcake and a muffin. They have a somewhat cake-like consistency, though not nearly as sweet yet are definitely richer than a muffin.  They are also frosting-free.  These are wonderful eaten plain and without any fuss needed at all.

They are named Double Chocolate Buns because of 2 types of chocolate in the batter:  Dark Cocoa Powder and White Chocolate Chips (the latter not really being a chocolate at all).

You can make these all in one bowl and you don't even need your mixer as long as you have some decent upper body strength to blend the butter and sugar.  Everything else gets folded in and blended just until combined then baked up for 20 minutes.

These rise up beautifully and your house will be infused with the smell of chocolate. They are tender, moist and hard to resist.  My daughter inhaled 2 while they were still warm.

Sticky Cinnamon Bun Muffins

Sometimes making cinnamon buns can be quite the chore. Sure the pay off is worth it but some days you want the bun, not the work that goes with. I get it, trust me, I do. Which brings me to today's recipe. Yesterday I was reading the food section in our local newspaper and a recipe jumped out at me. I read through the ingredients and instructions and thought, yup, this is a keeper. I had intended to wait a few days to make these muffins but couldn't resist testing out the recipe as soon as possible. I am very happy I did.

These cinnamon buns have all the incredible flavor of the traditional favorite but with 99% less labor ! Yes, there is yeast in there but it is quick-rising and no kneading required - let alone rolling into a spiral log, etc. Of course, there is cinnamon, sugar and a sweet icing. What more could you ask for?

The only 2 ingredients I adjusted from the original recipe is the amount of cinnamon used and the type of oil. I thought 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon was on the cheap side so I cranked it up to a heaping teaspoon instead. I also used grapeseed oil. The recipe also recommended you wait til the muffins are completely cool before adding the icing drizzle. I think it takes more authentic when the icing gets a chance to melt in and spread out a bit on still warm muffins so that is what I did. Once the muffins cooled they had an incredible sticky glaze on top that the kids (and the adults!) really enjoyed.

Try making a batch of these on the weekend. Your kids will be overjoyed and you will love the fact that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a warm, fresh out- of- the -oven cinnamon bun without all the time it usually takes to makes these yummy baked treats.

Ready? Me too!

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe - Cinnamon Bun Muffins, The Ottawa Citizen, November 10, 2011 Edition

WHAT YOU NEED

12 cup muffin tin lined with parchment paper liners and sprayed with cooking spray OR generously butter muffin tin and omit liners

FOR MUFFINS

3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cups granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
1 1/3 cups milk (2% is fine), at room temperature
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

FOR TOPPING

2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

FOR ICING

1 cup icing sugar
1 - 2 tablespoons milk

MAKE IT

IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER, fitted with paddle attachment, gently stir together flour, sugar, salt and yeast
ADD IN remaining muffin ingredients and beat on MED speed for about 1 minute
FILL muffin tins with batter. I used my ice cream scoop and filled each scoop about 3/4 full with batter
LET REST, uncovered, for 15 minutes

IN MEDIUM BOWL, with your fingers mix together all topping ingredients until combined and somewhat crumbly
DIVIDE topping evenly over tops of muffins
WITH a knife, gently press some of the topping down into the muffins and swirl slightly. This is trick as the batter is thick and sticky but the goal here is to to not have all the topping sitting on top once baked but inside the muffin a bit as well

PLACE MUFFINS in a cold oven and then set temperature to 375F
BAKE 20 minutes until slightly golden and tops spring back when lightly pressed
LET REST in pan 5 minutes them remove muffins to cooling rack. Allow to cool to a stage where they are still slightly warm

IN SMALL BOWL, whisk together icing ingredients and drizzle over muffins

DIG IN !

Also linked here:

Sticky Chocolate Cinnamon Buns

Glorious chocolate cinnamon buns! The secret to these decadent treats is the addition of chocolate chips and a layer of caramel sauce lurking underneath as they bake. During the baking process, some of the chocolate chips melt into the caramel sauce. When you flip the buns over after baking you have an incredible chocolate cinnamon bun glazed in a rich and creamy chocolate, caramel sauce.

I started out with my basic sticky bun dough recipe which is made in the bread machine. The cinnamon bun filling ingredients stay the same too but with the addition of 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. The biggest change though is the caramel sauce. Made easily in a saucepan and then poured into the baking pan, it serves as the sticky topping to these sweet and delicious buns. For a special dessert treat, top them with whipped cream and a cherry or shaved chocolate. Beyond good!





LET'S GET STARTED

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

A bread maker with a dough setting
9X13" baking dish

DOUGH INGREDIENTS

1 large egg at room temperature
1 1/4 cups warm water (80F or 27C)
3 1/2 teaspoons oil (plain vegetable oil works best. I used Becel)
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups white bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (I use the type marked for bread maker use)

THE FILLING

1/2 cup unsalted melted butter
1/4 cup fine white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

CARAMEL SAUCE

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons cream or milk

MAKE IT

GREASE baking dish (I melt 2 tablespoons of butter for this and brush it all over the inside of the dish)

IN YOUR BREAD MAKER, ADD all dough ingredients in the exact order as listed above.
SELECT Dough course and press Start

WHILE DOUGH IS RISING, combine all caramel sauce ingredients in a small saucepan
BRING TO A BOIL over medium heat and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring continously
POUR INTO prepared baking pan and ensure it covers all areas of the bottom of the pan

ONCE the dough course is complete, liberally sprinkle a work surface with flour
PLACE dough on work surface and roll out to a large rectangle (12" x 16")

Filling Ingredients: BRUSH melted butter on dough leaving 1/2 " edge on all sides
COMBINE sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl, sprinkle all over buttered area
TOP with chocolate chips
STARTING with longest side, ROLL up dough tightly to form a log
WITH SHARP KNIFE, cut rolls in 1 1/2" slices
PLACE rolls in baking dish over caramel sauce
COVER with a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm area for 30 minutes
PREHEAT oven to 350F
REMOVE towel and BAKE in oven for 25 minutes.

ALLOW buns to rest in baking dish at room temperature on cooling rack for 5 minutes
INVERT buns onto a plate

DIG IN !

Also seen here:

Spiced Chelsea Buns

Known in Britain (and around the world for that matter) as Chelsea Buns, these pastries are yeast based buns originating from England. Though similar in "design" as our traditional cinnamon buns, these are quite different. No thick frosting on these babies. Just an amazing sweet glaze of milk, honey and sugar. For the filling, traditional recipes tend to call for cinnamon, sugar and dried fruit. Other ones I have seen add more spices to the filling for even greater flavor. I combined the best of both worlds. This recipe has 2 types of raisins, cloves, and nutmeg in addition to the standby cinnamon and sugar.

According to historians, for almost a century, until its demise in 1839, the Chelsea Bun House in England was famous for its spicy, sugary buns which were aptly named Chelsea Buns. The precise location of the famous bakery is up for debate but many state Bunhouse Place, London, seems like a safe bet.

Another interesting note: the owners also claimed to have invented the hot cross bun, and one Good Friday tens of thousands of people, King George III included, thronged down Ebury Street, keen to be seen in the fashionable queue to buy sticky buns.

Thank you, England, for another great baking creation! For those who haven't tried a Chelsea Bun, you don't know what you are missing. So please, bake up a dozen and tell me what you think. I suspect these may quickly become your Sunday morning family favorite. Personally I enjoy them on any day that ends in "Y" .

Now onto the baking!

Though I initially intended to follow the Chelsea Bun recipe in The Great British Book of Baking, I wasn't keen on the dough directions. It lacked any steps to proof the yeast. As a result, I decided to revamp the recipe to ensure a well-risen dough. I also dramatically adjusted their filling ingredients too. I felt the addition of a few extra key spices would really kick these up a notch. Thankfully my intuition was bang on. Sugar and spice and everything nice, that is what these little Chelsea Buns are made of !

LET'S GET BAKING !

You can either knead the dough by hand or use your stand mixer equipped with a dough hook.

Once your dough has risen for 1 hour, you simply roll it out
and fill with spices, raisins, sugar and butter.


Spread the filling out leaving a 1 inch gap between filling and all edges


Roll up length-wise and pinch seam to seal long edge


Cut in 1 1/2 inch slices


Add buns to a greased baking pan and let rise , covered, 1/2 hr


They will puff up even more as they bake


Before you know it, you will have freshly baked spiced Chelsea Buns!

RECIPE*:
*source recipe (adapted) : Chelsea Buns, The Great British Book of Baking

WHAT YOU NEED

BUNS

175 ml milk (I used 2%)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons active dried yeast
50g unsalted butter
450g white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg at room temperature

FILLING

50g unsalted butter, melted
75g dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins)
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

GLAZE

2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoon fine granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey

MAKE IT

IN SMALL BOWL, microwave milk for 20 seconds or until lukewarm
ADD sugar and stir
ADD yeast, sprinkling on top of milk mixture
LET stand for 2 minutes. Then slowly whisk yeast into milk mixture
LET stand 5 minutes
IN SMALL BOWL, microwave butter until just melted
IN SEPARATE SMALL BOWL, gently whisk egg just until slightly blended
IN LARGE BOWL (or bowl of stand mixer), stir together flour and salt
MAKE well in middle of dry ingredients
ADD yeast mixture, butter and beaten egg
STIR for 2 minutes until a shaggy dough starts to form
KNEAD 10 minutes by hand on a floured surface or 4 minutes with stand mixer on MED speed
DOUGH will be somewhat soft but not sticky
COVER dough with dishtowel and let rest in warm area for 1 hour

MAKE FILLING

IN SMALL SAUCEPAN, melt butter over low heat.
STIR in remaining filling ingredients until combined
Stir continuously for 2 minutes over med/low heat
REMOVE from heat and allow to come to room temperature

WHEN DOUGH HAS RISEN, punch down and move to a floured work surface
ROLL dough into large rectangle (approx 10 X 16 inches)
SMOOTH filling over rectangle leaving 1 inch gap between filling and edges
STARTING with long edge, roll up dough into a spiral
CUT into 1 1/2 inch rolls

SPRAY a large baking pan (I used my lasagna one) with baking oil
ARRANGE buns in pan (sides not touching)
COVER with dishtowel and let sit 1/2 hour

PREHEAT oven to 400F
BAKE 15 MINUTES
WHILE BAKING, whisk together milk, sugar and honey.
MICROWAVE 20 seconds on HIGH power
STIR well

AFTER BUNS have baked 15 minutes, remove from oven, brush glaze over tops and return to oven for 5 minutes

REMOVE and let cool completely in pan set over a cooling rack

ENJOY!

Also seen here:

Raspberry Breakfast Buns

Easter morning had arrived and I began making cinnamon buns. Then I saw the 2 pints of raspberries hidden the in back of the fridge and had an idea ! Why not switch things up and make fresh raspberry breakfast buns instead? And to go a step further, why not top them off with a raspberry cream cheese icing? The results were wonderful!

These are buttery rolls that taste so fresh and light. Perfect for Easter morning!

Let's get started!

Here they are ready to rise 1/2 hr before baking

Baked and ready to be iced !

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

A bread maker with a dough setting
9X13" baking dish

DOUGH INGREDIENTS

1 large egg at room temperature
1 1/4 cups warm water (80F or 27C)
3 1/2 teaspoons oil (plain vegetable oil works best. I used Becel)
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups white bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (I use the type marked for bread maker use)

* melted butter (1/4 cup) and 2-3 tablespoons demerara or turbinado sugar - to be added after rolls have been cut and placed in baking pan

THE FILLING

2 pints fresh raspberries
1/2 cup white sugar or vanilla sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

THE ICING

1/2 cup cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sifted icing sugar
4 tablespoons raspberry syrup (set aside while making the filling)


MAKE IT

IN BREAD MAKER, combine all dough ingredients in the order specified (do not add melted butter and demerara/turbinado sugar at this stage) and set to Dough cycle.
This will knead the dough and the allow it to rise for the necessary time
WHILE DOUGH IS RISING, in a large bowl, mash raspberries and sugar.
NEARING the end of the first dough rising stage, remove 4 tablespoons of the raspberry juice which has now pooled at the bottom of the bowl and set aside.
REMOVE 3 more tablespoons of juice and in a small bowl whisk together juice and 1 tsp cornstarch. Add back to berries stirring well to combine
WHEN DOUGH HAS RISEN, flour work surface well and roll out dough into a large rectangle (12" x 16")
SPREAD berry mixture onto rolled dough leaving berry-free 1/4" edge on all sides
ROLL up dough tightly to form a long log and pinch edge together to form a seal
CUT DOUGH evenly into 9 rolls
PLACE in baking pan
BRUSH melted butter over the tops of the rolls.
ALLOW TO RISE 30 minutes, covered with a tea towel, in a warm spot

PREHEAT oven to 350F
WHEN ROLLS HAVE RISEN, sprinkle tops with turbinado or demerara sugar
BAKE 35 MINUTES
PLACE pan on cooling rack and allow to cool 15 MIN before icing

MAKE ICING:
COMBINE all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk on MED speed with electric mixer 2-3 minutes
SPREAD icing over rolls.

DIG IN !

THESE ARE STICKY - A FORK AND KNIFE WORK WELL

Cinnamon Buns with Maple Glaze

Flaky, buttery, and loaded with cinnamon and sugar! In honor of maple syrup season , these ones are topped with a maple glaze.

One bite and you will think immediately of the flavor associated with Cinnabon! Now you can make your faves at home and bypass the visit to the mall.

The best thing about these cinnamon buns? The dough is made in the bread maker!

A FEW PICS TO INSPIRE YOU!

These are ready for the 2nd rising process

Fresh out of the oven

Glazed and ready to be eaten!



I use a large serving fork to help get these guys out of their baking dish

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

A bread maker with a dough setting
9X13" baking dish

DOUGH INGREDIENTS

1 large egg at room temperature
1 1/4 cups warm water (80F or 27C)
3 1/2 teaspoons oil (plain vegetable oil works best. I used Becel)
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups white bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (I use the type marked for bread maker use)

THE FILLING

1/2 cup unsalted melted butter (+ 2 tablespoons, melted and set aside)
1/4 cup fine white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

THE GLAZE

4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup sifted icing sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream

MAKE IT

GREASE baking dish (I melt 2 tablespoons of butter for this and brush it all over the inside of the dish)

IN YOUR BREAD MAKER, ADD all dough ingredients in the exact order as listed above.
SELECT Dough course and press Start

ONCE the dough course is complete, liberally sprinkle a work surface with flour
PLACE dough on work surface and roll out to a large rectangle (12" x 16")

Filling Ingredients: BRUSH melted butter on dough leaving 1/2 " edge on all sides
COMBINE sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl, sprinkle all over buttered area
STARTING with longest side, ROLL up dough tightly to form a log
WITH SHARP KNIFE, cut rolls in 1 1/2" slices
PLACE rolls in baking dish
BRUSH the 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the rolls
COVER with a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm area for 30 minutes
PREHEAT oven to 350F
REMOVE towel and BAKE in oven for 25 minutes.

ALLOW buns to rest in baking dish at room temperature on cooling rack for 5 minutes
COMBINE all icing ingredients and blend until smooth
BRUSH glaze over tops of warm buns

ENJOY !!!!

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