FRENCH CHOCOLATE COFFEE CAKE
Source: Test Kitchen Favorites: 75 Years of Recipes Too Good To Be Forgotten by Better Homes and Gardens Books
Makes 12-16 servings

This luscious coffee cake was the inspiration behind this book. Thirty-year Test Kitchen veteran Maryellyn Krantz made it for a young test kitchen colleague Jennifer Kalinowski, to celebrate Jennifer's trip to France. When Maryellyn learned that Jennifer wasn't familiar with this sumptuous recipe, that got everyone thinking about all the other wonderful recipes in the files that were in danger of being forgotten. The rest… is in this book!

4 to4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages active dry yeast
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cut up
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

In a large mixing bowl stir together 1 1/2 cups flour and yeast. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan heat and stir the 3/4 cup sugar, the water, the 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk, and the salt just until warm (120 to 130 degrees F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Add egg yolks. Beat with electric mixer on low to medium speed 30 seconds, scraping sides constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough into ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 2 hours). Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine remaining evaporated milk, 3/4 cup of the chocolate pieces, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat; cool.

Grease a 10-inch tube pan; set aside. Roll dough into 18x10-inch rectangle. Spread chocolate mixture to within 1-inch of the edges. Starting from long side, roll up dough. Pinch seam to seal. Place, seam side up, in prepared pan. Pinch ends together.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in the 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in remaining chocolate pieces and nuts. Sprinkle over dough in pan. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 1 hour).

Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 50 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool 45 minutes. Serve warm.