Chocolate Kugelhopf Recipes

Steps:

• Mix the raisins with the Cognac and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a small saucepan and set aside.
• Mix the yeast with 1/4 cup of the milk in a large bowl and set in a warm place for about 5 minutes, until it becomes frothy. Stir in the remaining milk and sugar. Add the salt and 2 cups of the flour.
• Beat the dough by hand or machine, adding all but 3/4 cup of the flour. Beat in all but 1 tablespoon of the butter, a tablespoon at a time. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that is soft but not sticky and is very elastic. Kneading should take 2 to 3 minutes by machine, or about 6 minutes by hand.
• Heat the raisin mixture and cook just until most of the Cognac has evaporated.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a flattened rectangle. Spread the raisins on it, fold the dough over and knead a couple of minutes by hand to incorporate the raisins.
• Heavily butter a two-quart kugelhopf pan or a 10-inch bundt pan with the remaining tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with the almonds, turning the pan so they adhere to its interior. Place the dough in the pan, breaking a hole in the center to accommodate the tube. Set aside, lightly covered, and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Punch dough down in the pan. Let rise again, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow it to cool completely in the pan, then unmold. Dust with sifted confectioners' sugar before serving.

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast with the sugar in the warm water and let it proof.
• Sift the flour, putting 2 cups in each of two bowls.
• Set one bowl aside.
• Work together 2 cups of flour and the soft butter (this may be done in the electric mixer).
• Mix in the salt and the eggs, one at a time, beating until very thoroughly incorporated.
• In alternate batches, add the remaining 2 cups flour and the yeast mixture.
• Mix in the electric mixer or with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended and elastic, then stir in the raisins.
• Put in a large, lightly floured bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch the dough down.
• Heavily butter a standard 10-inch Kugelhoph mold or a 10-inch tube pan and sprinkle half the sliced almonds around the bottom of the mold (the butter will make them adhere).
• Pour or spoon half the dough into the mold, sprinkle in the rest of the almonds, and add the remaining dough.
• Let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 475 degrees F.
• for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until nicely browned, about 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let stand for 3 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Steps:

• Stir together yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Heat milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to 115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.
• Sift together flour and salt into bowl of standing mixer. Make a well in flour and add yeast mixture. Add warm milk in a slow stream, mixing at low speed with paddle attachment. Increase speed to medium and beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in raisins and zest. Continue to beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.)
• Butter kugelhopf mold with remaining tablespoon butter. Put 1 almond in each depression in bottom of mold (the almonds are only decorative; you can skip them altogether if your mold has no depressions), then scrape spoonfuls of dough evenly into mold (dough will be very elastic). Cover top of mold with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until it fills pan, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Remove towel from kugelhopf and gently peel off plastic wrap. Bake kugelhopf in middle of oven 15 minutes, then loosely cover mold with foil and continue to bake until golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert cake onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.

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.