Triple Coffee Sweet Rolls

Triple Coffee Sweet Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup instant espresso powder
• 2 cups very hot milk
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 lg. egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp. white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed

Ingredients for Filling:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

Ingredients for Icing:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 3 Tbsp. espresso or strong coffee

Directions:

1. Combine 1/4 cup instant espresso and hot milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and let cool until just warm to the touch.
2. Add yeast, egg, white sugar, salt and melted butter.
3. Add most of the flour, attach the dough hook and knead on low speed until everything comes together and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn mixer speed up a notch and continue to knead until a smooth, soft, elastic dough forms, adding in remaining flour as needed, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Remove dough from the mixer, form into a ball and place back in the bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
5. Meanwhile, make filling. Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, cocoa and instant espresso powder.
6. Once mixed, remove from heat and let cool. As soon as butter starts to cool and solidify, stir to form a thick, spreadable paste. Set aside until needed.
7. Once dough has risen, use your hands to press out the air and reshape into a ball. For best results, transfer dough to a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator overnight. Dough can be used right away if need be.
8. Very lightly flour a work surface. Turn dough out onto the work surface, press into a rectangle and very lightly dust the top with flour.
9. Roll out into a 12-by-18-inch rectangle.
10. Spread filling evenly to the edges, leaving a few inches along one of the long sides free of filling.
11. Lightly brush exposed dough with water. This will help to seal the seam.
12. Beginning with the long side that has filling, roll dough and filling toward the long side with exposed dough to form a uniform log, finishing with the seam on the bottom.
13. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and line the bottom with buttered parchment.
14. Score the log of dough into 12 equal portions, and then cut each portion with a piece of string.
15. Place cut rolls into the prepared pan. Cover rolls and leave to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
16. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
17. Bake in the preheated oven until puffed, golden brown at the edges for about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before icing.
18. Whisk together confectioner’s sugar with espresso or strong coffee, enough to form an icing that can be drizzled over with a spoon.
19. Drizzle icing over rolls and let cool before serving or enjoy slightly warm.