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EDITED September 14, 2019: It was brought to my attention that Imperial Sugar does use bone-char in their processing, though they were listed on the PETA website as they don’t. Imperial Sugar is reaching out to PETA to have themselves removed from their website. Imperial Sugar also said that “they are currently in the midst of updating their equipment to not use bone char anymore, but it isn’t an overnight fix with an operation that big”.
Confession time: yeast dough and sourdough baked goodies are my huge weakness. I cannot resist a good homemade bread or pastry. I simply can’t. Therefore, my first recipe post for the #Choctoberfest week is the sweet yeast dough Chocolate Twists.
Thanks to Imperial Sugar – the gold sponsor of the #Choctoberfest giveaway – for supplying me with the Light Brown Sugar to help me share this recipe with you today! The opinions are of my own. For more information, see my disclosure here. – at the moment of writing this post, Imperial Sugar was listed on the PETA website as a company which doesn’t use bone-char in the processing. Please see my updated note above.
What are the Chocolate Twists
It turns out there are multiple varieties of the Chocolate Twists. Made with puff pastry, sourdough, sweet and dark chocolate – just to name a few. Mine are made with vegan semi-sweet chocolate and the yeast dough and tend to disappear from the plate the moment you cut the first piece.
To be honest, it may take a while to make the recipe the first time you make it. But I can promise you will want to make it again.
And again 🙂
Despite the sweet dough and the chocolate layers, the result is a very nice and moderately sweet dessert. Well, you can eat it as a dessert or as a breakfast. It is delicious both ways 😉
Step-by-Step Chocolate Twists – the Dough
I am planning on making a video on this recipe very soon. If you want to get notified when the video is up, please subscribe to my newsletter using the form below.
In the meantime, I hope these step-by-step instructions will help.
Warning: Because there are many images included in the post, the page may load slower.
The proportions are listed below in the printable recipe form 🙂
- Heat the vegan milk for about a minute to approximately 110F (40C). If you don’t have a thermometer, the milk shouldn’t be hot to touch but rather nice and warm.
- Add yeast to one half of it and put aside.
- Add the other half into the mixing bowl with the vegan butter, sugar, vanilla extract and the “vegan egg” and mix it.
- When you see the yeast in the milk foaming, add the mixture into the mixing bowl ↑ as well.
- Start adding flour part by part so it incorporates well into the mixture.
Note: you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough or knead it with a spatula.
This is what the dough will look like first:
It will be soft and pleasant to touch and might still stick to the hands a bit.
6. Cover the bowl with either a towel or the plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.
This is what it would look like 2 hours later:
Chocolate Spread
Melt the chocolate in the microwave for about a minute or on the water bath. Mix it and put it aside to cool a bit.
Step-by-Step Twists
Place the dough on the lightly floured surface and make roll out into a rectangular shape about 1/2″ (1cm) thick.
Spread the melted chocolate and almonds or walnuts (not shown) on the dough:
Now, visually divide the dough into 3×3 parts.
Fold the left side of the dough on the center part. Do the same with the right side.
Now, fold the top (farthest from you) part onto the center.
Do the same with the other (lower) part.
You should now have “an envelope” that looks like that:
Roll out the dough into a rectangular piece close to the size of the baking sheet (at least to one of its sides).
The thickness of the dough depends on how puffy or twisted you want to have it.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch wide stripes (2.5cm) and twist them.
Place them on the baking sheet
You can sprinkle more sugar and almonds/walnuts on the top if you wish 🙂
Important: Let the dough “rest” for about 15-20 minutes to rise again.
Baking and Forming the Roll
Heat the stove to 380F (190C) and bake the chocolate twists for about 15-20 minutes.
Let it cool for about 2 minutes in the stove and take it out.
Now, you can either leave and eat them as is, or you can turn them upside down, spread more chocolate (mmmmm….) or jam on the what used to be the bottom side and roll them into a roll just like that:
Leave it to cool down for about 2 hours (or overnight).
And here what you will get as a result:
The amazingly delicious vegan Chocolate Twists!
You can have them with your morning coffee or the afternoon tea.
They will be a hit of the holiday table as well!
You can bake them the day or two before the event. Just keep them in a closed tight container or a towel, and they will still be delightful then!
Thanks again to Imperial Sugar for the product!
It’s been a great experience working with a great product! Please check out their Halloween Recipes here.
The company is celebrating its 175th!!! anniversary this year! Their products include granulated sugar, light and dark brown sugar, free-flowing sugar, powdered sugar, sugar shakers and Steviacane® (Stevia + sugar blend). Imperial Sugar products are 100% pure cane sugar, non-GMO and provide consistently delicious results – updated September 14, 2019: at the moment of writing this post, Imperial Sugar was listed on the PETA website as a company which doesn’t use bone-char in the processing. Please see my updated note above.
And a special thanks to The PinterTest Kitchen for organizing the event!
Check out #Choctoberfest on Instagram and follow the Simple Family on the Facebook page to find more delicious chocolate recipes!
- 2 cups plant-based milk (~400ml) - I used almond milk
- 1 tsp instant baking yeast
- 3.5 tbsp unsalted vegan butter (50g) (if you have no unsalted butter, omit salt)
- 1/2 tsp salt omit is your butter has salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- light brown sugar (75g)
- 2 tbsp aquafaba
- 1 tsp egg replacer (optional)
- 4.5 - 5 cups unbleached flour or half and half unbleached and whole wheat flour
- 3/4 - 1 cup vegan semi-sweet or dark chocolate or a mix of both - use less if using jam as well
- 1/2 cup jam (optional)
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Add yeast to one half of it and put aside. Add the other half into the mixing bowl with the vegan butter, sugar, vanilla extract and the "vegan egg" and mix it.
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When you see the yeast in the milk foaming, add the mixture into the mixing bowl as well and mix.
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Start adding flour part by part so it incorporates well into the mixture. Knead the dough on a floured surface.
Place it into a bowl, cover with a towel or a plastic food wrap, and let it rise for about 2 hours.
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In 2 hours, spread the dough on the floured surface and roll out into a 1/2 inch (1cm) thick layer.
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Melt chocolate in the microwave for about a minute, mix it well and let it cool a bit.
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Spread half of the melted chocolate on the dough, sprinkle crushed walnuts or almonds on the top, and fold the dough.
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Roll out the dough into the desired thickness. With a pizza cutter slice the dough into the inch-wide stripes and twist them.
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Place the chocolate twists onto a baking sheet covered with the parchment paper and let them rest for about 15-20 minutes.
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Heat the stove to 380F (190C) and bake the chocolate twists for about 15-20 minutes.
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Optional: with the help of another baking sheet, turn the chocolate twists upside down. Spread the other half of the melted chocolate on what was the bottom side and, with the help of the parchment paper, roll it all into a roll. Let it cool down for at least 2 hours or overnight.
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Enjoy!
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