Oatmeal Cream Pies

Sometimes you have one of those weeks when nothing seems to go right.

I had one of those this past week and I'm sure a good amount of you were right there with me after discovering the outcome of this year's election!

Whenever I have one of these weeks, all I want to do is feel comforted and safe, like I did during my childhood - a time when the stresses of adulthood didn't even cross my mind.

Since I can't fly my parents up from Florida every time I have a bad week, I make certain foods that remind me of my younger years at home; or I bake my favorite childhood treats!

I don't know about you, but when I was little, I LOVED those packaged oatmeal cream pies. The sweet, fluffy cream sandwiched between those two dense, chewy oatmeal cookies always satisfied my sweet tooth!

Instead of running out to the store and eating a whole box to forget the stresses of the week, I decided to bake my own oatmeal cream pies!

The final product was even better than I remember. And - added bonus - no preservatives! Also, when you make them yourself, you're not limited to the single-serve portion of one cookie per package. 

You're an adult now. You can have two and it won't ruin your dinner ;)

Oatmeal Cream Pies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick or old fashioned oatmeal

For the Cream Filling:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbs milk or half & half

1.) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper

2.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

3.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add in oats and mix until incorporated.

4.) Use a medium scoop (about 1-1.5 tablespoons) to drop the dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow cookies to sit on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.Once cookies have cooled completely, prepare the cream filling.

Prepare the Cream Filling:

1.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. This process will lighten the color of the butter and ensure you buttercream is extra fluffy.

2.) Turn the speed down to low and gradually add in the powdered sugar. Continue mixing on low speed until the powdered sugar is completely incorporated. Add in vanilla extract and milk and mix until combined.

3.) Turn mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat the mixture for an additional 3-5 minutes. If needed, add in a little more cream 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the consistency you desire.

4.) To assemble the cookies, pipe or spread the cream filling on the flat side of half of the cookies and put the remaining cookies on top.

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes {vegan}

Hey! Fall is here!

Fall is my favorite season. Warm, cozy sweaters, beautiful changing leaves and all of those delicious autumn flavors make me countdown the days until mid-September!

During this time, coffee shops large and small begin offering their popular seasonal flavor: Pumpkin Spice. The latte version has become so popular that it's developed it's own acronym: PSL. Because "Pumpkin Spice Latte" can be a mouthful.

Personally, one of my favorite "fall" flavors is available all year around; and may be quite underrated. I find the warm, spicy notes of chai to be the perfect introduction to the fall season; and it keeps me in the autumn mood all the way through those dreary winter days.

Which is why I decided to make vanilla chai cupcakes for my first blog post of the fall. And - BONUS - these just happen to be vegan! Although, it is very easy to make these non-vegan, which I've noted in the recipe below. I was able to share these with a couple of my friends who prefer to eat vegan, so it was nice to share this recipe with them!

So next time you're feeling in the mood for some fall flavors, maybe skip over the obvious and try these sweet autumn underdogs instead!

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes
3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or 2 eggs for non-vegan)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or regular 2% milk for non-vegan)
1/2 cup canola oil (or coconut oil)
5 bags of your favorite chai tea

For the Icing:
1 cup vegan butter - I used "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" (or regular, unsalted butter for non-vegan)
2 cups powdered sugar (I ended up adding in more to taste to cut down on the "buttery" flavor)
2 Tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or regular 2% milk for non-vegan)
Cinnamon Sugar to taste to sprinkle on top (ratio of 1/4 cup granulated sugar to 1 tbsp cinnamon)

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.) Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers

3.) Place the 1/2 cup of milk and tea bags on the stove on medium heat. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes (ensure that it doesn't burn or boil over)

4.) Allow milk mixture to sit

5.) Meanwhile, using the paddle attachment, mix together the applesauce (or eggs), sugar and oil until it becomes lighter in color

6.) Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix on medium speed until combined

7.) Add the almond milk/chai mixture to the batter and continue mixing

8.) Spoon the batter into the cupcake papers until 3/4 full

9.) Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

10.) Meanwhile, mix together powdered sugar, vegan (or regular) butter, cinnamon and the 2 tbsp of milk

11.) When the cupcakes are cool, ice them with the frosting and then top with the cinnamon sugar mixture to taste

Grandma Giannini's Scones - With a Sweet Tooth Twist!

In exactly two weeks (September 11th) it will be National Grandparents Day. I stumbled upon this fact randomly, but I have been holding on to my Grandmother's scone recipe for a while now and when I found out about this day, I figured today would be the perfect day to test this recipe out! Shout out to my parents who sent me the hand-written recipe (photo below) and suggested I turn it into a blog post.

I was one of those few lucky kids who got to live with their grandparents for several years. My mother's parents moved in with my mom, dad, sister and me when my grandfather was having some health issues. Children are usually spoiled by their grandparents, but it takes on a whole new level when they spend each day with you. It was if I had two additional parents; two additional hearts to love and care for me.

Although we frustrated each other at times (we lived with them during our preteens - we were the worst), and there were definitely some cross-generational misunderstandings, I would not trade a second of the time I got to spend with them. They have taught me a great deal about life, love and respect that I will carry with me always. So this blog post is dedicated to them. I love you Grandma and Grandpa and I miss you every day.

So getting to the recipe...although I respect my grandma's recipe, I did make a couple of changes. Her's called for raisins and walnuts. When I went to the store to purchase these items, I noticed that the walnuts were pretty expensive (I already went over my wine budget this week, so I had to cut back somewhere..). However, right next to the nuts were some really nice packages of granola. One in particular had both slivered almonds and dried cranberries in it; it was also vanilla flavored. This sounded like a wonderful substitution and a large package was less than a bag of walnuts alone. So my hand obviously passed over the walnuts and snatched up the granola instead. If you're super ambitious, you can make your own granola to incorporate into this recipe. I was NOT ambitious this weekend. Maybe I'll try it when I'm retired like my grandma and grandpa were ;)

That was the only change. I followed the rest to the "T." I did make my own buttermilk, though, because they don't make small containers of it and I always end up throwing the remainder out when it goes bad. To make your own buttermilk, using a cup ratio, pour just under one cup of milk into your measuring cup. Then top it with two tablespoons of either white vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for a while before you incorporate it into your recipe so it has time to "merry" or "do it's thing" (not sure of the correct terminology for this).

The scones turned out nicely! I ended up making mini ones because, when I rolled the dough out to 3/4 of an inch as the recipe called for, it didn't look like there was enough to make 14-16 servings - also stated in the original recipe. So keep this in mind when you're baking!

A lot of memories flooded back to me while I was making this recipe. Although I changed a couple of things, I hope I made my grandma proud!

Grandma Giannini's Scones - With a Sweet Tooth Twist!

2 cups flour

2 tbs sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 lemon peel, grated

1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks

1 - 1.5 cups granola of your choice

3/4 cup buttermilk

Additional buttermilk, sugar and granola

1.) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and grated lemon peel.

2.) With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles course meal.

3.) Mix in granola. Then mix in the buttermilk with a fork.

4.) Gather the dough into a ball and knead for about 2 minutes on a lightly floured surface.

5.) Roll or pat out the dough until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick.

6.) With a chef's knife, cut into triangles (between 2-3 inches in size) and place them spaced about 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet

7.) Brush the tops with the additional buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar and more granola.

8.) Bake in the center of a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until nicely (golden) brown. Serve warm. 

Makes 14-16 scones

Pasteis de Nata

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to take a second trip to beautiful Portugal with my family.

The first time I traveled to the Iberian Peninsula, I was in fifth grade with a limited palate and an even more limited appreciation for the beauty and history of this amazing country.

But this visit, I traveled with my eyes (and mouth!) wide open. I absorbed everything Portugal had to offer, from the perfectly preserved time-worn towns and cities to the simple yet delectable and unique food. I honestly can't imagine a more honest, humble, breathtaking and delicious country.

I'm so happy I was able to taste all of the delicacies that Portugal had to offer. You can make a whole meal out of their soft, mild cheese and hearty rolls (papo secos). You can eat plates and plates of their small but hearty clams, seasoned simply with garlic, olive oil and cilantro. The availability of the seafood stew was how you chose your restaurant for dinner. The rice slowly finished cooking in the broth as you scooped out beautiful pieces of lobster, mussels, clams, prawns and more; a never-ending oceanic feast.

And then there were the pastries. Every other window you passed along the cobble-stoned streets of the major towns and cities were filled with piles of sugared, glazed, custard (nata)-filled irresistibly sweet treats. The pastries that you saw at every shop and the ones that are known throughout Portugal are called Pastéis de Nata (custard tarts). They are simply a buttered pastry shell filled with a sweet custard. But don't let their simplicity fool you. The flaky, delicate crust combined with the rich, cinnamon-based custard create this addictive flavor combination that make you want to try one at every bakery in Portugal (my brother-in law practically did!).

In honor of my family trip to Portugal and in an attempt to recreate this national treasure, I decided to make mini Pasteis de Nata. This was no easy task. There are a lot of steps and some precise techniques to create these things. As an amateur baker, it was time-consuming, but definitely worth it in the end. They didn't look exactly like I remember in those shop windows, but the familiar taste and texture brought me right back to vacation with my family. And that was really all I needed (and of course, a glass of Port to go with it!).

Pastéis de Nata Dough
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup plus two tablespoons water

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, stirred until smooth

Custard
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk, divided
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks, whisked

Garnish 
Confectioners’ sugar
Cinnamon

Make the Pastéis de Nata dough
1.) In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, salt, and water until a soft, pillowy dough forms that pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 30 seconds.

2.) Generously flour a work surface and pat the dough into a 6-inch square using a pastry scraper. Flour the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

3.) Roll the dough into an 18-inch square. As you work, use the scraper to lift the dough to make sure the underside isn’t sticking to your work surface.

4.) Brush the excess flour off the top of the dough, trim any uneven edges, and, using a small offset spatula, dot and then spread the left 2/3 portion of the dough with a little less than 1/3 of the butter being careful to leave a 1 inch plain border around the edge of the dough.

5.) Neatly fold the unbuttered right 1/3 of the dough (using the pastry scraper to loosen it if it sticks) over the rest of the dough. Brush off any excess flour, then fold over the left 1/3 of the dough. Starting from the top, pat down the dough with your hand to release any air bubbles, and then pinch the edges of the dough to seal. Brush off any excess flour.

6.) Turn the dough 90° to the left so the fold is facing you. Lift the dough and flour the work surface. Once again roll it out to an 18-inch square, then dot the left 2/3 of the dough with 1/3 of the butter and smear it over the dough. Fold the dough as directed in steps 4 and 5.

7.) For the last rolling, turn the dough 90° to the left and roll out the dough to an 18-by-21-inch rectangle, with the shorter side facing you. Spread the remaining butter over the entire surface of the dough.
8.) Using the spatula as an aid, lift the edge of dough closest to you and roll the dough away from you into a tight log, brushing the excess flour from the underside as you go. Trim the ends and cut the log in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or preferably overnight. (The pastry can be frozen for up to 3 months.)

Make the custard
9.) In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and 1/4 cup milk until smooth.

10.) Bring the sugar, cinnamon, and water to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 220°F (100°C). Do not stir.

11.) Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, scald the remaining 1 cup milk. Whisk the hot milk into the flour mixture.

12.) Remove the cinnamon stick and then pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the hot milk-and-flour mixture, whisking briskly. Add the vanilla and stir for a minute until very warm but not hot. Whisk in the yolks, strain the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside. (You can refrigerate the custard for up to 3 days.)

Assemble and bake the pastries
13.) Heat the oven to 550°F (290°C). Remove a pastry log from the refrigerator and roll it back and forth on a lightly floured surface until it’s about an inch in diameter and 16 inches long. Cut it into scant 3/4-inch pieces. Place 1 piece pastry dough, cut side down, in each well of a nonstick 12-cup mini-muffin pan (2-by-5/8-inch size). Allow the dough pieces to soften several minutes until pliable.

14.) Have a small cup of water nearby. Dip your thumbs in the water, then straight down into the middle of the dough spiral. Flatten it against the bottom of the cup to a thickness of about 1/8 inch, then smooth the dough up the sides and create a raised lip about 1/8 inch above the pan. The pastry sides should be thinner than the bottom.

15.) Fill each cup 3/4 full with the slightly warm custard. Bake the pasteis until the edges of the dough are frilled and brown, about 8 to 9 minutes.

16.) Remove from the oven and allow the pasteis to cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack and cool until just warm. Sprinkle the pasteis generously with confectioners’ sugar, then cinnamon and serve. Repeat with the remaining pastry and custard. These are best consumed the day they’re made.

Lemon Cupcakes with Roasted Strawberries and Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting

For me, Memorial Day is the official start to summer. It's the first long weekend of the warmer months, you can "legally" wear white pants again (I have some differing opinions about this, but this is neither the forum nor the time), and BBQs are in full swing!

Our friends Tom and Tracy (the talented photographer who took the beautiful pictures below) invited us to a BBQ at their house over the long weekend and I thought it was the perfect time to try out a new recipe, highlighting the flavors of summer.

Previously, my blog posts haven't veered too far from the recipes I've researched. I've changed a thing or two to make it different than the original, but haven't been confident enough with my skills or taste to stray too far.  However, this time I decided to create something of my own.

I knew I wanted to create a fresh, light, bright and obviously delicious treat to please the guests of our friends' BBQ. I saw a recipe that incorporated roasted strawberries in the frosting. This looked great, but I thought sliced, roasted strawberries would be a delicious middle layer to a cupcake. But what flavor should the cupcake be? In my opinion, the citrus flavors of a lemon cake would be a great accompaniment to the sweet, syrupy roasted strawberries. Finally, I had to figure out the frosting. The roasted strawberries reminded me of that delicious strawberry syrup that you usually find on the top of a classic cheesecake. Because of that, mascarpone seemed like the obvious and perfect topping to this delicious treat. Mascarpone is less grainy than ricotta cheese and definitely more sumptuous than typical cream cheese.

So I've come up with my own combination of flavors - my first original recipe!

I woke up early the day of the BBQ, excited to start putting together these concoction of flavors. Everything started well. The roasted strawberries came out of the oven syrupy and sweet, the batter of the cupcakes were a bright, fresh burst of lemony goodness, and the first pan of cakes baked to an airy, golden perfection.

And then the power went out.

I had the last six cupcakes in the oven (those were thrown out. Except for one, which I ate anyway. Half-baked is still better than eating raw batter, right?), and I still hadn't made the WHIPPED mascarpone frosting. I emphasized whipped there because you're supposed to whip the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed. ELECTRIC mixer. And we had no electricity. Needless to say, I got my arm workout that day!

In the end, though. The cupcakes that did bake turned out great! They were well-received at the BBQ and were the perfect treat for the official start to summer.

A special thank you to my extremely talented friend Tracy Rodriguez Forbes (aka Tracy Rodriguez Photography - check her out on Facebook!). She took the time out of her BBQ hosting duties to snap some pics of my cupcakes. She specializes in wedding and yoga photography, but I personally think she should take up food photography as well because she made my simple cupcakes look phenomenal!

 Roasted Strawberries

1/2 pound of strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 tsp. sugar

Lemon Cupcakes

1 cup cake flour

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Zest of 3 medium lemons

1/2 cup half & half

Mascarpone Whipped Frosting

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1.) Preheat oven to 400. Arrange strawberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. sugar and roast 15-20 minutes, until berries are soft and beginning to caramelize. Set aside to cool.

2.) Lower oven temp to 350. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.

3.) In a large bowl combine cake flour, flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. In another bowl cream together butter, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and half and half. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in three parts. Mix until all ingredients are just incorporated.

4.) Fill each cupcake liner 1/3 of the way with the batter. Place 2-3 sliced, roasted strawberries on top of the batter, then add more batter on top of the strawberries until the liners are 2/3 of the way full

5.) Bake 19-22 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

6.) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the mascarpone cheese, sugar, and vanilla on high until completely blended. Add whipping cream to the mascarpone/sugar mixture, and mix on low until cream is mostly incorporated into the cheese/sugar mixture. Scrape bowl. Then whip on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with your favorite cupcake frosting tip and top the cooled cupcakes.

Chocolate Babka

So the blog is back.

And we've rebranded to Sweet Tooth. I'm thinking long-term here and Sweet Tooth seems more appropriate. Also, "The Sweet Spot" can be misconstrued too easily and no one wants to be part of that awkward conversation...

So anyway, you know you've hit it big when someone other than your mother or your best friend asks you to bake something for them.

One of my coworkers found out that I have a passion for baking and asked me to make one of his wife's favorite treats: Chocolate Babka. She has a couple of food allergies, so she usually can't eat the Babkas that are available at local bakeries.

In my excitement of being given this task, I immediately said yes, without even looking up what Babka was or how to make it. For those of you who don't know what it is, Babka is a spongy, brioche-like yeast cake. The one my coworker requested was the version associated with the Eastern European Jewish tradition, which is folded, twisted, baked in a loaf pan and filled with either cinnamon or chocolate.

Oh, and it also has about A MILLION STEPS!

First of all, this recipe contains not only a yeast-dough, but also a filling, a streusel and a syrup topping. Secondly, the dough has to be left to rise about 16 times (not really, but it still seemed excessive at the time). Finally, the dough had to be split, braided and twisted before placed into the loaf pan. I can barely braid my own hair, so I was on struggle street during this part.

Because of all this, I really had to time everything out. Thankfully, the filling and streusel could be made a few days in advance and then stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. The rest I had to do on the weekend because the timing wouldn't have worked out in between work and other activities throughout the week.

Although this was one of the most time-consuming recipes I've ever made, it was honestly a great challenge/learning experience and seeing the result makes me want to do it all over again! The recipe made two loaves so I was able to give one to my coworker for his wife and the other I brought into the office for all of my other coworkers to try. They either lied to my face or really enjoyed the cake.

I was able to try a slice myself and it definitely was delicious! It wasn't too sweet, as I used bittersweet chocolate for the filling, but certainly sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. The dough was moist in the middle with a hollow crunch on top where it was twisted and braided. The syrup gave it a perfect stickiness, with the streusel adding a complimentary texture as well.

So I would recommend making this cake on a rainy weekend or a time when you have a few days to plan accordingly. Although a time- and effort-intensive recipe, I think it's good to have on hand if you're looking to impress your guests or if you'd like to give a loaf as a gift (and keep the other for yourself)!

Babka dough ingredients

Babka chocolate filling ingredients

Streusel ingredients

Streusel

Rolled dough spread with chocolate filling

Dough and filling rolled-up

Dough and filling - split and twisted

Unbaked cake in loaf pan (pre-streusel)

Baked Chocolate Babka!

Wrapped and ready for gifting!

Babka Dough

½ cup whole milk

1 package (1/4 ounce/7 grams) active dry yeast

⅓ cup granulated sugar, plus a pinch

4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, more as needed

1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing bowls and pans

Chocolate Filling

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half

 Pinch kosher salt

6 ounces extra bittersweet chocolate, preferably between 66 and 74 percent cocoa, coarsely chopped

8 tablespoons/1 stick unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Streusel

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

⅓ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Syrup

⅔ cup granulated sugar

1.) Make the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it’s lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.

2.) In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla and the nutmeg. (If you don't have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn’t come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.

3.) Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

4.) Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It probably won't double in size, but it should rise.

5.) Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won't be as developed).

6.) Make the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.

7.) Make the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.

8.) Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

9.) Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.

10.) Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.

11.) Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it’s about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won’t quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.

12.) When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.

13.) As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.

14.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.