These (b)unimaginably tasty pistachio chocolate buns are officially one of my favorite bakes! And they were a triumph. I have a history of deflated pastries that require yeast, but this time the buns rose to the occasion.
I ate them for both breakfast and dessert. Maybe dinner is next?
What to Expect:
In a nutshell, the pistachio chocolate buns are delicious: buttery swirls sprinkled with chopped pistachios and melted chocolate. They are the consistency of a cinnamon bun, but with more texture to offer. They are quite sweet—and contain a lot of sugar on top of the chocolate chips—so the pistachios add a complexity to the flavor profile. For me, the combo of pistachios and chocolate is unbeatable.
Plus, pistachios mean they’re healthy, right?
What I Changed:
Nothing! The pan size I used was slightly smaller, which meant fewer swirls. There are a few things I would change if I were to make these again—and I most certainly will. First, I wish I had chopped the pistachios more finely. That way, the pistachios would have blended in more with the chocolate, so you could get more pistachio with each bite rather than sporadically.
I also would try to be more precise with the dough shape when rolling out the dough. The recipe calls for a rectangle, and while mine was rectangular, I think each bun would have been more equal in size with that added precision. On that note, I must say that the process of making these was a lot of fun.
Give these whirligig pistachio chocolate buns a whirl and let me know what you think!
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 1 ⅔ cups milk
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 5 to 5 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 packets rapid-rise, bread-machine or other instant yeast
- 2 large eggs
- Vegetable oil for bowl
FOR THE FILLING AND THE GLAZE:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ cup shelled pistachios
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 large egg, beaten
PREPARATION:
- In a small saucepan, combine 8 tablespoons butter and the milk, and place over low heat until lukewarm, stirring to melt the butter. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine 5 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In a medium bowl, beat eggs lightly, and then whisk in milk mixture.
- Using a mixer with a dough hook, or by hand, stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Knead dough for 7-8 minutes until smooth and springy, adding more flour by the tablespoon if necessary to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Form into a ball, and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 30 minutes.
- Line bottom of a 13-by-10-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Punch down the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a rectangle about 22 by 12 inches.
- To make filling, dollop the remaining 8 tablespoons softened butter over the dough and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the butter. Chop pistachios until splintery, and sprinkle evenly over dough. Top with chocolate chips, pressing the chocolate and nuts gently into the dough. Starting from longest side, carefully roll up dough so it looks like a long sausage. Cut dough into 20 slices, each 1-inch thick, and arrange with a cut side up in pan.
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush buns with beaten egg, and let them sit in a warm place until puffed up and spongy to the touch, about 15 minutes. Bake until buns are risen and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan at least 30 minutes, then cut and serve warm.
