OOOH Carol, even with the raisins that looks amazing. I love the syrup dripping out of the slice. Could you please post Zola's recipe again.

Ann

OMG...how gorgeous! And cinnamon raisin is one of my favorite breads too.

Please repost the recipe. This I have to make!

Michelle

I'd be happy to. Unfortunately that thread has dropped off the forum.

Here's zolablue's aunt's recipe for the sweet dough and the chocolate cinnamon rolls she made with it:

Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls (Swedish Tea Ring, Orange Rolls, or Dinner Rolls)

Refrigerator Rolls Makes 12 large rolls

1 Package active dry yeast
1/2 Cup lukewarm water (add pinch of sugar) Set aside.

In large bowl:

2/3 Cup shortening
2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup mashed potato
1/2 Cup milk (Aunt uses evaporated milk)
1/2 cup water potatoes cooked in
4 to 5 cups all purpose flour
Mix first three ingredients; shortening, salt & sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat in. Add mashed potatoes, yeast, milk, potato water and mix.

Add flour; three to four cups, mixing well adding enough more flour until dough can be handled and turned onto floured board. Knead well using as little flour as possible. Place in large oiled bowl, cover and let rise double. Knead lightly and cover, place in fridge until ready to use or overnight.

For cinnamon rolls:
If refrigerated, let bowl sit at room temperature for 30 Â 40 minutes. Then roll out dough on lightly floured counter to roughly 12 x 18 inches. Brush on melted butter, then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture and chopped cinnamon chips. Leave about 1/2" border.

Roll dough and cut into 1 1/2" pieces and place in buttered baking pan. Let rise about 30 minutes.

Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Drizzle with icing and sprinkle chopped cinnamon chips.

Filling:

3/4 Cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 - 1 Cup cinnamon chips (chopped) - more to sprinkle over top

Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

4 Tablespoons butter, softened
8 Ounces cream cheese, softened
3 Ounces* Ghirardelli 62% bittersweet unsweetened chocolate morsels, melted (or chocolate; your choice)
Dash of salt
3 Cups confectioners sugar
1/3 Whole Milk (approx  use enough to get desired consistency)
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add melted chocolate, salt, confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and spreadable.

*Adjust chocolate amount if you are making part of the icing vanilla only.

For my cinnamon raisin bread I used a bare 4 cups (maybe a bit less) of flour. It was just slightly tacky but very light and a pleasure to work with.

I soaked the raisins to plump them (I don't like chewy raisins.) and patted them dry. After the first rise I patted the dough out, scattered the raisins over and kneaded them in.

Divided the dough, rolled out to two rectangles about 10x12, brushed on beaten egg, and scattered the cinnamon-sugar.

I got the basic proportions from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook - 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 T. cinnamon, 2 T. water.

I used my own vanilla sugar and a new kind of cinnamon for me - Tunghing. I love that stuff.

I didn't use all the sugar-cinnamon mixture and I probably could have cut back a bit more, though I know DH is not going to complain.

Roll up dough, put in greased pans. I brushed butter on the tops before covering with Saran and then brushed some of the remaining egg over the loaves before they went into the oven.

I dropped the temp just slightly for convection - 400 degrees, and baked about 40 minutes, maybe a bit less, to an internal temp of 186-7. By the time the loaves sat a bit they were up to 190, which is perfect.

This dough and the bread are definitely keepers. It's been a long time since I've baked a sweet dough like this. I know why. It's dangerous.

Carol

Me too, me too I must have the recipe. LOL

I love cinnamon raisin bread. Yours looks so good with the oozing syrup and plump raisins.

Linda P

I remember the thread, but didn't come away with this recipe..
Thanks for reposting it and bringing it back to our attention!
Your bread looks amazing!!!!

I'm not entirely happy with the loose spiral; I was trying to avoid excessively deflating the dough and didn't roll the loaves tightly enough. But DH said it was "ambrosia" and ended up having cinnamon-raisin bread as his dinner. Not what I had planned, but it definitely turned out to be a popular choice at our house!

Carol

Carol, that looks just amazing. I know there were some distractions while you were making that bread, and it still turned out perfectly.

I had copied that recipe and hadn't tried it yet, now it's coming back to the top of the "to try" list!

Annie

Looks fantastic! I would love a slice or two with my coffee right about now!

No distractions whatsoever, LOL. Only a painter working on the walls, DH cutting and installing baseboards and two BIL's stopping by to get a mortar mixer repaired.

I was looking at that old thread of zolablue's. There's a Swedish tea ring she posted I'm thinking of giving a shot.... In a week or two when we recover from the current sugar blast!

Carol

Carol, a friend emailed me to let me know this thread was here. I can't tell you how pleased I am that you tried this recipe. Your bread looks absolutely fabulous and decadent! Makes me want to mix up a batch right now. I have not even thought of making a bread loaf with that dough and because my DH loves raisins so much I am going to do this for him so thanks for the tip.

You were so very encouraging to me on that thread and, Carol, I really will never forget it. You will probably remember that I was having a devil of a time going back and forth and trying to write up the recipe so it made sense and worked properly. After many attempts and even though I was still smiling I'll never forget that you popped in again and gave me such sweet words of encouragement about trying so hard to get an old family recipe just right. That meant a lot to me and now that you have made the bread I'm so happy you liked it.

Now I would love to pass along my grandmother's wonderful bread recipe to you. I actually thought of you during that time I was working to unlock the mystery of how her bread tasted so very unusual. I'll send you an email and thanks again.

what beautiful results and how wonderful that you were able to recreate a family favorite! that's really a very sweet story--quite special!

Hello zolablue. Thank you for your kind words. If what I said encouraged you to continue re-creating family recipes, that is a blessing.

P.S. If you do decide to make the raisin bread, yield is roughly two loaves 1 3/4 pounds apiece.

Carol