Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

 

There’s a quiet magic to a soft, swirled roll, especially when it’s filled with a homemade ‘Nutella’ that’s rich and chocolatey. I’ve tested this one plenty, landing on a recipe that’s straightforward and worth the effort. I’ll guide you through it with step-by-step photos—no fuss, just a proper treat topped with a slick of chocolate icing.

Cinnamon Roll Dough and Icing Recipe by Marsha Fernandez at All Recipes 

The Filling Recipe is by Katie at Chocolate Covered Katie

Ingredients:

Dough: 

250ml Tepid Milk

80g Butter, room temperature

7g Sachet Fast Acting Yeast

630g Strong White Flour

130g Caster sugar

1tsp Salt

2 Eggs, room temperature

Filling:

120g Roasted hazelnuts

Drop of Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

25g Cocoa powder

60g Sugar

2tbsp of Oil

Icing:

80g Butter, room temperature

85g Cream cheese, room temperature

120g Icing sugar

30g Cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Warm the milk and butter in a microwave proof jug on full power for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir to combine, add to this, the fast acting yeast and allow to stand while you weigh out the flour, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Add the eggs to the milk and yeast mixture and whisk vigorously until the eggs are well combined. Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry and mix until fully combined either by hand or on LOW for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Knead on LOW with the dough hook attachment for 3-5 minutes, if kneading by hand, tip the sticky dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. It will become less sticky as you knead.
3. Place the kneaded dough into the large bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and allow to almost double in size in a draught free corner of your kitchen. As this is an enriched dough it could take up to 2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is. 
4. In the meantime liquidise together the ingredients for the filling until they look like wet sand. Set aside until needed. Please see Note below for more information about the filling recipe. 
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 40x55cm rectangle.
6. Spread the filling evenly right to the edges, and roll tightly towards yourself from the longest side. 
7. To cut the rolls I have found that unless a knife is extremely sharp it will drag the dough and squash the rolls. We instead cut each piece with a length of dental floss placed under the roll and tie it off which cuts cleanly through all the dough and filling in one fell swoop (pictured below). Cut into 14-16 equal rolls and place each into a large greased and lined baking tin or buttered Pyrex dish.  
8. Cover the rolls with a tea towel and allow to rise until they are doubled in size or slow to spring back when lightly poked with a finger. 
9. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/ Gas 6.
10. While the oven is preheating whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth and creamy. To ensure that your icing doesn't split (which mine did) make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, however it does not effect the look or the taste once spread onto the warm rolls.
11. Once the rolls have risen, bake in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.   
12. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before spreading with all the icing. Serve warm.  

Note: 

The filling ingredients are actually for homemade Nutella recipe, which if your liquidiser is powerful enough will actually turn the whole mixture into a smooth spreadable paste.