Cinnamon and Chocolate Knots

I decided to make these for the first time last week. And look how they turned out. Looks like any idiot can make gorgeous baked goods (and by idiot I mean me :-)).

I was no good at, and scared of, baking with yeast untill I got my Kitchen Aid for Christmas. When Big Man presented me with such an expensive gift I decided that it was not going to go to waste. It hasn't.

I found myself explaining some of the principles of baking to the Baby Girls while they were peeling off layers of chocolately-cinnamonly-yumminess. The last six months I've got it. I understand yeast, dry and fresh. I understand gluten. I understand kneading (or not). I understand proofing and raising.

Now. This recipe is by no means mine. As I always do when I want to bake I've turned to Trine. And I've followed hers almost to the dot. Original recipe here.



Dough:
900-1000 grams flour
5 dl tepid milk
50 grams yeast
150 grams sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
150 grams butter, diced

Filling:
200 grams finely chopped dark chocolate
5 tablespoons brown sugar
100 grams soft butter
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients for the dough together. Hold off a little flour, and the butter. Let the dough work in your kitchen machine for ten minutes adding the rest of the flour as needed. When the dough lets go of the sides of the bowl add the butter cubes one by one (fairly quickly). The dough is ready when all the butter is incorporated.

Let it rise for at least an hour. The dough should be at least double in size.

Drop on a floured surface and divide in two. Roll out the first ball into a rectangle about 1 cm thick and spread half your chocolate mix on half of the rectangle. Fold the other half over (the chocolate is now in the middle. Cut the dough in strips of about 3 cm wide, stretch them a little, twist and tie in a knot. (Trine has great pictures of this over here). These make approximately 27 knots.

Lay the knots out on a baking tray with greese proof paper. Repeat with the other half of the dough and filling. Brush with eggwash and let them all rise again to double size. Bake for 15 minutes (pluss/minus depending on your oven) at 225 degrees celcius.

If you have any left they freeze well as soon as they are cool. I reaheated mine (thawed out) for five minutes at 150 dregrees.



Eat (and try not to repeat).