Bready or Not Original: Mini Cookie Butter-Chocolate Babkas
This recipe makes 12 miniature babkas within the convenience of a muffin pan! Cookie butter and chocolate chips are swirled together to create a decadent treat.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate, cookie butter, yeast bread
Servings: 12
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
12-cup muffin pan
nonstick spray
pastry brush
Ingredients
4 1/4 to 4 1/2cupsall-purpose flourdivided
1/2cupwhite sugar
2 1/4teaspoonsinstant yeast or one store-bought packet
1 1/2teaspoonskosher salt
1cupplus 1 Tablespoon waterdivided
1/2cupplus 1 Tablespoon unsalted buttermelted and divided
2large eggs room temperature and divided
1large egg yolk room temperature
1cupcreamy cookie butter
1/4cupconfectioners’ sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1/3cupsemisweet chocolate chips plus extra
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together 4 cups flour, white sugar, yeast, and salt.
Using a saucepan or the microwave, heat 1 cup water and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter until it is 120 to 130-degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Pour the water mixture into the flour mixture. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add one egg and egg yolk, and beat for another 2 minutes. Beat in a 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour until a soft, sticky dough forms.
Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until dough is soft, smooth, and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add nonstick spray to a large bowl. Shape dough into a smooth ball, and place in bowl. Roll it briefly to coat in oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Use nonstick spray on a 12-cup muffin pan.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 Tablespoon butter. Add to it the cookie butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla, stirring until smooth.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into roughly a 20x12-inch rectangle. Spread cookie butter mixture onto dough. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Fold rectangle crosswise into thirds as if folding a sheet of paper for an envelope, forming a smaller rectangle, about 12x6 inches.
Cut rectangle crosswise into 12 (about 1 inch) dough strips. Gently stretch and twist one to coil it inside a prepared muffin cup, tucking the end inside edge of cup to create a rounded top. Repeat 12 times. If desired, press a couple of additional chocolate chips into the top of each babka, but try to place them so they won't melt off the pan during baking.
Cover and let rise in a warm spot until they are puffed, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325-degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together the last egg with 1 Tablespoon water. Brush tops of dough with egg wash.
Bake until babkas are golden brown, about 17 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in center should register 190-degrees.
Babkas are much better served warm--eat them fresh, or heat up later with a 20-30 burst in the microwave! This makes the dough soft and the chocolate gooey. They keep well sealed at room temperature for up to 3 days, but can also be frozen and thawed later.