Warm Sweet Rolls with Chocolate

One of the enduring combinations in the food world is bread and chocolate. A croissant filled with some melted bittersweet chocolate is how I remember first learning about the joining of two of my favorite flavors.

The other morning I didn’t have time to even think about the first little part of making croissants, but I figured out a way to make Sweetie some sweet rolls for breakfast that combined chocolate, jam and fruit. When it's cold outside (and we had frost on the grass this morning) a pan of warm sweet rolls is a wonner.

The day before I had peeled, cored and thinly sliced a quince. Then I had candied the slices. These, chocolate, nuts, and some quince jam went into a lovely pan of breakfast rolls. The photos at the beginning of the post show the progression of rectangel of biscuit dough with jam, then fruit, then chocolate. Don't forget to add the nuts. Too bad I had to go to work and didn’t get to have any until dinner time. He said that they were much better fresh out of the oven. I didn’t even have time to glaze them, but I included directions if you want to.

The wonderful thing about these rolls is that the biscuits are a great foil for the chocolate. You taste the richness of the chocolate and tang of the buttermilk. The jam and quince lend sweetness and an almost haunting flavor that stays with you. These take a little while to prepare, but will make a memorable breakfast or snack. Use the best quality chocolate you can find because the chocolate shines here.


Bread and Chocolate Sweet Rolls

2 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (a food processor works well)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 to 3 1/2 cups Bisquick (I used the lowfat version because that’s what was in the cupboard) - use enough to make a firm dough
¼ cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup quince jelly
1 quince, candied (see below)
½ cup walnuts, toasted and cooled, finely chopped with 1 tablespoon of sugar A food processor works well)

In a small bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate one minute at half power. Stir. Microwave again one minute at half power. Stir. Repeat until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl, mix the Bisquick, sugar, and buttermilk to make a dough. Turn the dough out on a floured board and knead a few times, then roll out in a rectangle about 12 inches x 8 inches.
Take the jam and put it into a bowl. Stir with a fork to break up the jam to make it more liquid. Spread the jam on the dough rectangle, stopping about an inch away from the edge on the long sides.
Take the candied quince slices and spread them out as evenly as possible over the jam, stopping about 1 inch from the edge on the long sides.
Take the cooled chocolate mixture and spread it over the jam and fruit. Sprinkle at once with the nuts, distributing as evenly as possible over the chocolate.
Roll up starting at one of the long edges. If the biscuit dough is very soft, you may need to freeze the rectangle for 10 minutes so it can be rolled. Slice the roll into 12 slices, each about an inch thick. Place each roll, sliced side down, in a greased cast iron skillet.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree F. oven for about 40 minutes, until rolls are cooked and golden brown on the top.
Serve warm. If desired, drizzle when they have cooled 10 minutes with a mixture of 1 cup confectioners sugar and 1 tablespoon warm milk. Let the glaze harden before serving.

Candied Quince
1 medium to large fresh ripe quince, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water

Mix the sugar and water in a medium sized pot and stir over medium heat until the sugar melts and mixture is clear. Add the quince, turning and stirring until all slices are covered with the sugar mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover, stir, cover, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally, another 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until cool.