Chocolate-Filled Rolls

I feel like I have been getting very far behind in my blogging. Working a full week means very little time for personal hobbies and pleasures which, in my case, includes blogging and baking! I'm trying to use my weekends as a time to get some of these recipes posted but it still seems like a slow process.

This recipe for these rolls has been sitting on the back-burner for a while, but I thought that now would be a good time to share them!

When it comes to cinnamon rolls, I'm always conflicted. It SEEMS like a breakfast food, but how can a sugary pastry covered in glaze be considered breakfast? It is pretty much a dessert...but if it is accepted as a breakfast than who am I to judge?!

I'm afraid then line isn't as hazy when it comes to these bad boys. They pretty much can't qualify as a breakfast. They are HUGE and FILLED/COVERED in chocolate. Eating just one of these instantly  makes me feel like I have a food baby.

But man, those few minutes it takes to devour one of these rolls are just pure heaven...

I feel like the rolls would be good enough without the glaze, but once you've drizzled that chocolatey goodness over top, there is no going back. You'll never want to eat them any other way.

I would suggest bringing these to a big brunch potluck-buffet so you won't be tempted to eat them all yourself. Trust me, you don't want these around to tempt you..

Chocolate-Filled Rolls
Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours    Bake Time: 25 mins         Yields: 8-10 rolls

Ingredients:
1 loaf frozen white bread dough, covered and thawed in a fridge overnight
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

THE GLAZE
2/3 cup icing sugar
4 tsps milk
2 tsps cocoa powder
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it reaches a 12''x14'' rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter.
2) In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture overtop of butter. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and chopped pecans over the brown sugar mixture. Press down lightly to adhere the chips and nuts to the dough.
3) Roll up the dough from the short side, like a jelly roll. Press the seam against the roll to seal it. Cut the roll into 1-inch slices.
4) Grease a 9x13 inch pan and arrange your slices, cut-side up, on the pan about half an inch apart. Cover the slices with a sheet of greased wax paper and a clean tea towel. Let stand in the oven with the oven light on and the door closed for about 1 1/2 hours, until the rolls have doubled in size.
5) Remove the waxed paper and tea towel. Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and let stand in pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.

THE GLAZE
1) Combine all 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Add more milk or icing sugar as necessary, until mixture reaches a barely pourable consistency. Drizzle glaze over each roll in the pan.

(Recipe adapted from Company's Coming: Most Loved Festive Baking)