Chef Chuck's Holiday Roll

A holiday roll made with white sponge cake and a chocolate espresso whipped cream. A wonderful treat for the whole family to enjoy. Sprinkle white chocolate to create a snowy
feeling during this festive season.


Holiday Roll


Cake
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon crushed walnuts


Filling
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder,
finely grinded


Ganache
1/2 cup chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter


white chocolate, grated for topping


Heat oven to 350, in a small bowl combine flour, sugar and cornstarch. In a separate bowl whisk eggs and honey add this to flour. Beat ingredients till smooth, spread in a 10 x 14 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle walnuts over dough. Bake 8-10 minutes or till golden brown. Dust a board or work space with powdered sugar and flip cake onto the sugar, let cool.
Prepare filling using a cold bowl, whip cream 1 minute then add sugar, cocoa and espresso powder, beat till firm peaks. Chill in refrigerator. When cake is cooled spread a thin layer of filling and begin rolling up using parchment paper to help to roll. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Melt chocolate, cream and butter in a double boiler. Place cake on a grill with a baking pan underneath and ladle melted chocolate over the log. Refrigerate again till chocolate hardens, grate white chocolate on top and enjoy!

Sweet Walnut Ring

It's about time for some a nutty sweetness! The dough is so soft it will melt in your mouth, and the filling is addicting. While baking this dessert the aromas reminded me of my favorite bakery. It's hard to wait for the ring to cool to add the creamy sweet icing. I like to eat this dessert when it's still warm it really brings out the cinnamon and walnut flavors. Lovely with a cup of tea or coffee. This recipe takes some time but it is well worth it. It's a weekend treat for my family, I start it in the morning and then we enjoy it all day.

Light and Delicate!!

Sweet Walnut Ring
Dough
2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
zest of 1 lemon
Filling
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups walnuts chopped
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla


Heat milk until 105 degrees, in an electric mixer dissolve yeast in the warm milk until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, salt, sugar,egg, lemon zest and mix using the dough hook until the dough comes together. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour if dough is too soft. Turn it out on a floured board and knead until smooth , about 5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in the bowl and coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubles in size about 1 hour. Turn out dough onto a floured surface roll out to 12x18 inches. Spread the butter all over. In a small bowl mix the cinnamon, sugar and walnuts. Spread mixture over butter roll dough into a long roll and press the seam together. With the seam turned downward seal the two ends together to make a ring. Place on a parchment lined baking pan or round bundt pan. Using a sharp knife make cuts every inch cutting only three quarters of the way through. Cover the roll with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool on rack, when cooled drizzle icing all over the ring.