Pumpkin-Chocolate Babka for #PumpkinWeek 2015

Welcome to #PumpkinWeek day 4! One more day. Hosted by Terri from Love and Confections, nineteen bloggers will be sharing nearly seventy pumpkin-filled recipes over the course of the week. Be sure to come back every day to see all the delicious creations - from muffins to cakes, cocktails, breakfast baked goods, savory pastas and stews, and gluten-free recipes, too. You can also find these great recipes and more on Love and Confections' #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board!

#PumpkinWeek day 4 recipes:

• Pumpkin Almond Croissants from Love and Confections
• Pumpkin Cake Pops from Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Pumpkin Carrot Cake from Making Miracles
• Pumpkin-Chocolate Babka from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Pumpkin Cranberry Mini Muffins from Feeding Big and more
• Pumpkin Dip from Gluten Free Crumbley
• Pumpkin Fudge from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Pumpkin Pie Martini from The Redhead Baker
• Pumpkin Spice Creamer from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Spicy Pumpkin Sweet Potato Chili from The Crumby Cupcake
• White Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Ingredients

Babka

• 1/2 C warm water
• 1 T active dry yeast
• 1 T organic coconut sugar
• 1 t pumpkin pie spice
• 4 1/2 C flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• olive oil

Filling

• 5 T butter, softened
• 1 C  pumpkin puree (how to make pumpkin puree: version 1, version 2)
• 1 C organic coconut sugar, divided
• 1 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1 C semisweet chocolate chunks
• 1/2 C sliced almonds

Glaze

• 2 T butter
• 2 T organic coconut sugar
• 1/2 t  pumpkin puree

Procedure

Babka
Combine water, yeast, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a large mixing bowl. Let bloom for ten minutes - until it gets foamy on top. Add in the flour, then the eggs and vanilla extract. Knead until it comes together in a ball. Oil the bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise until doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes to two hours.

Filling
During the rise, make your filling. Place all of the ingredients, but only 1/2 C coconut sugar, up to through the pumpkin pie spice, in mixing bowl. And, with a fork, blend everything together until a thick paste is formed.

Once the dough is risen, roll it out on a parchment paper. You can divide the dough into half; I kept it all together in one loooooooong roll of dough in the end. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the rectangle. Sprinkle the entire roll with 1/2 C coconut sugar, chocolate chunks, and sliced almonds.

Roll the rectangle lengthwise into a jelly roll. Cut it down the length of the roll so that you have two long skinny pieces.

Wrap and twist the two pieces around each other so that you have a twisted loaf. I wasn't feeling well and my twists were not very photogenic, so I didn't take a photograph of that step. Sorry.

Let the loaves rise for an hour and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the loaves until golden brown and baked through, approimately 20 to 25 minutes.While the loaves are baking, make the glaze. Bring sugar, butter, and pumpkin puree to a simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool somewhat. As soon as the babka is pulled out of the oven, brush the syrup all over. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing!