Chocolate Apricot Kugelhupf Recipes

CHOCOLATE APRICOT BUGS

Steps:

• Place 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a small pan of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Gently squeeze the sides of an apricot together until 3/4-inch thick. Using a wooden skewer, make a hole through the center of the side of the apricot and thread a piece of licorice through the hole. Repeat twice more on either side of the first hole. Gently flatten out the apricot to its original shape. Dip the blunt end of the skewer in the melted chocolate and place a very small dab of chocolate onto the flat side of 2 chocolate chips. Place the chocolate chips side-by-side on the end of the apricot to form 2 eyes. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Allow the melted chocolate to harden, about 15 minutes, and serve.
• Cook's Note: The bugs can also be made using dried prunes. Use red licorice lace for the legs and white chocolate chips for the eyes.

CHOCOLATE APRICOT KUGELHUPF

Steps:

• For sponge:
• Boil apricot nectar in heavy medium saucepan over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour reduced nectar into large bowl. Cool to 120°F. to 125°F. Whisk in flour, sugar, milk powder and yeast. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area until double in volume, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare dough:
• Generously butter 12-cup kugelhupf pan. Using electric mixer, cream butter with sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs and egg yolks 1 at a time. Beat in apricot brandy, salt, vanilla and ginger. Combine yeast and 2 tablespoons hot water in small bowl and stir until yeast dissolves. Mix yeast mixture and sponge into butter mixture. Gradually mix in 3 cups flour. Combine chocolate, apricots, brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Mix into dough.
• Spoon dough into prepared pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and clean kitchen towel. Let stand in warm draft-free area until dough rises just to top of pan, about 3 hours.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Bake kugelhupf until deep brown and cracking on top and tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 48 minutes. Cool on rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Return to pan, cover tightly and store at room temperature.)
• For whipped cream:
• Stir chocolate and 2 tablespoons cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool. Beat remaining 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add brandy and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Pour chocolate mixture over cream and fold together until whipped cream is lightly streaked with chocolate. Transfer to serving bowl; chill. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead.)
• Place kugelhupf on platter. Lightly sift powdered sugar over. Cut into wedges. Serve, passing whipped cream separately if desired.

CHOCOLATE KUGELHOPF

Steps:

• Dough: Bring milk almost to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool until lukewarm, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and the yeast, and beat with a mixer on low speed. Beat in eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time. Beat in remaining 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Transfer dough (it will be sticky) to a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough, knead a few times, and let rest 10 minutes. Roll out into a 14-by-22-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
• Filling: Mix together brown sugar, raisins, and chocolate. Brush butter on dough, and sprinkle filling on top, leaving a 1-inch border.
• Starting from a long side, roll up dough; cut crosswise into 12 slices. Place 6 slices flush against the side of a buttered 10-inch tube pan. Place remaining 6 slices, cut sides together, around tube of pan. Cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Unmold, and let cool completely on rack, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

CHOCOLATE-APRICOT RUGELACH

Steps:

• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add cream cheese and cold butter; pulse until butter is the size of peas. Add 1 tablespoon ice water and pulse until combined. Continue adding water as needed until dough stays together when squeezed.
• Divide dough in half. Form each piece into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the paper with nonstick spray.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Mix apricot preserves and orange zest together for filling.
• Roll both discs of dough into 1/4-inch thick circles. Spread apricot preserve mixture over top of each circle and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
• Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Start at the wide edge and roll each wedge toward the point to create a crescent. Brush beaten egg over each crescent and sprinkle with sugar. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.

RAISIN CHOCOLATE KUGELHOPF

Steps:

• In a medium saucepot scald the whole milk and remove from heat.
• Stir in sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla.
• Transfer to your large mixer bowl and let cool to lukewarm.
• Using paddle attachment, low speed add 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the yeast.
• Stir in the eggs.
• Then stir in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time.
• Beat on medium speed until dough starts to come away from sides of bowl.
• Remove the dough from bowl to a floured surface.
• Knead briefly until smooth.
• Grease a clean large bowl, with soft butter, and place dough into bowl to rise untuil doubled covered loosely with a clean cloth.
• While dough is rising, prepare the filling.
• Place brown sugar, raisins grated chocolate well and set aside.
• Grease a 10 inch tube pan well, set aside.
• When the dough has doubled, puch down, knead a few times, let rest 10 minutes.
• Roll out into a rectangle about 14 x 24 inches.
• Spread the melted 2 tbsp. butter onto the rolled out dough.
• Sprinkle the filling on top of the butter, leaving about an inch around edges to seal.
• Roll up starting at long side.
• Cut into 12 equal slices.
• Place six slices on the out side of pan as lining the sides.
• Place the last rolls (with cut sides together) in the centre of pan.
• Cover loosely and let rise until dough reaches top of pan about another hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, Bake 45 minutes to 55 minutes-- Tester into cake should come away clean-- Remove from oven and turn out of the pan onto a wire rack.
• Let cool completely.
• Serve with a light dusting of confectioners sugar.
• Or wrap well in saran wrap and then foil and can be frozen for 4 months.