Make the Dough

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk, butter, sugar, egg, yeast, and Rodelle Chocolate Extract. Mix just to melt the sugar. In a separate bowl add the flour, Rodelle Cocoa Powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
2. Turn off the mixer and add in the dry ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and mix for about a minute. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides. Turn it back on and mix for about 5-7 minutes more, scraping down as needed.
3. The dough should start to pull away from the sides. *Note that the dough will be very sticky/tacky/soft. This is what helps make it gooey. I add between 4 ½ – ¾ cups of flour depending on my ambient kitchen temp and humidity.
4. Use a spatula and transfer the dough to a large greased bowl. Cover and proof until doubled in size – typically 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Roll, Slice and Rise Again

1. While the dough is rising, prepare the chocolate sweet roll filling by mixing all of the ingredients together into a paste. Set aside.
2. On a generously floured board, scrape your dough out. Sprinkle the top of the dough and your rolling pin with flour. Roll out into a rectangle roughly 22×15” in size though this can vary. It’s not super exact. If you want thinner layers, roll it out larger. I opt for smaller as I want thicker layers. *Note: You may have to repeat lightly coating the dough and the rolling pin with flour to get it to roll out. It’s an easy dough to roll but because it’s tacky, it may stick. Just take your time but do not use an excessive amount of flour.
3. Once rolled out, evenly spread out the filling over the entire rectangle. Starting at the long end, roll up the dough tightly like a jellyroll, pinching the seam at the end. To slice, use unflavored dental floss to slice into 6 (if doing a half batch), 12, or 15 rolls.
4. Place the sliced rolls into a buttered baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 20 minutes or just until doubled in size.

Add the Secret Ingredient & Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 5 minutes before baking, remove the plastic wrap, and pour the warm cream all over the rolls. Let this sit for 5 minutes to soak in a bit.
2. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the dough is 200F. The time will vary based on how big or little the rolls are. Check them at around 19 minutes. If the tops start to get too dark, loosely cover with foil.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes to 60 minutes before frosting. See post for details.

Frost & Enjoy

1. Add ingredients to a microwave-safe dish and heat in 30-second increments stirring after each session. Once the mixture is smooth and shiny, spread as little or as much on the rolls as desired. *See notes for the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe