Chocolate Chip Cherry Sweet Rolls

Directions

Make The Dough:

In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat until lukewarm (no need to use a thermometer, but to be precise: about 95 degrees F). Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment and manually stir in the sugar and yeast. Cover with a towel and let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Add the softened butter, eggs, and salt. Scrape down the sides and manually stir as needed. The butter will not fully incorporate and be "piece-y." Gradually add the flour and beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is soft and supple, about 10 minutes longer. *If you do not have a stand-mixer with a hook attachment, use a hand-held mixer to mix the butter, eggs, and salt together with the yeast mixture. Slowly add the flour and knead the dough by hand.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands for about 2 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly greased bowl. Cover the dough and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper, gently sprayed with non-stick spray, leaving room on the sides. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. The cherries will release their juices in the next step, so to be extra careful and avoid staining, I suggest turning the dough out onto a floured nonstick surface rather than your counter. Using a rolling in, roll into a 10×24 inch rectangle. I used a ruler for accuracy. Make sure the dough is smooth and evenly thick, even at the corners.

Make The Filling:

In a medium bowl, toss the frozen cherries with the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mash the cherries so there are no whole cherries left. Spread the cold sugared/mashed cherries evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips. Tightly roll up the dough to form a 24-inch-long log. Cherry juices will seep out the sides. Cut into 15 even rolls (or 16) about 1.5 inches in width each. Arrange them in the prepared baking pan, cut sides up. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they are puffy, about 2 hours. The cherries will release their juice at the bottom of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Cover the rolls with aluminum foil and bake for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and the chocolate chips are melted. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes.

Make The Glaze:

In a small bowl, whisk the confectioner’s sugar and heavy cream until smooth. Add more sugar or cream, depending how thick you want the glaze. Pour glaze over the rolls and sprinkle with more chocolate chips, if desired. Serve warm.