Looking to revive long forgotten memories or just longing for new ones? Let's try this chimney cake that makes memories good ones!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Sugar free recipe
Keyword cinnamon, dessert
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Ingredients
Dough
1 ½cupMilk
1tablespoonFresh yeast
5cupsFlour
5tablespoonButterunsalted, room temperature
1mediumEgg
1tablespoonVanilla extract
½teaspoonSalt
2tablespoonsHoney or sweetener of choicetraditionally sugar
Cover
½cup Sugar or sweetener of choice
Optional
Walnutcrushed
Cinnamonground
Coconutflakes
Almondcrushed or flakes
Instructions
Chimney cake - Freestyle
Mix yeast and milk then knead flour, butter, vanilla extract, salt and the eggs.
Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place for an hour to raise.
After an hour, take the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface then roll it out to about 1/2" / 1cm height.
Cut the rolled out dough up into ½" / 1.5cm stripes.
Chimney cake rolling - Beer can method
While we are waiting for the dough to double in size, get the chimney cake rolls ready. Empty the tin cans and poke a hole at the bottom possibly in the middle. Keep the can opener bits!
Stick something long and not melting, such as a chopstick, through the bottom and the hole of the can opener bit.
Cover them with parchment paper so it will be easier to remove the baked chimney cakes. Applying a double layer will give the paper more strength.
Roll the dough up. Apply a tin coat of water at the end of each piece so the next will will stick to it easier.
Close the end by the same method pressing it to the above layer.
To even the surface and connect the stripes, roll the can gently on a lightly floured surface.
Apply a thin coat of oil or just simple water so the sugar will stick to the dough better.
Traditionally chimney cakes are rolled into sugar that should caramelize during the baking process.
Use a spring form as a frame to keep the chimney cakes touching a baking sheet.
Place the sugar coated chimney cakes under the 450°F / 230°C broiler until the sugar starts to melt then caramelizes about 30 - 180 seconds. Depending on the oven rack height and broiler starting temperature. Mind that we only use the broiler part of the oven here and the oven door can be left open. Since this method replicates best the traditional chimney cake making process we almost constantly need to move the chimney cakes so the sugar caramelizes but it doesn't burn.
Take them out and roll them around so the sugar caramelizes on all sides. It takes some practice, fiddling with the imperfect chimney rolls and time to get all the sides done. It takes about 10 minutes to get all the sides done
Some sugar will not caramelize but if we have a blowtorch we can quickly help on that. We can also leave it like that.
Use a knife to loosen up the dough. It's hot so be careful.
Slide it off the can.
Coat it with freshly ground cinnamon, cocoa powder or ground nuts of choice.
Chimney cake rolling - Jars method
Cover jars with parchment paper so it will be easier to remove the baked chimney cakes. Using jars will allow us to stick one end of the parchment paper inside and lock it with the lid.
Roll the dough up. Apply a tin coat of water at the end of each piece so the next will will stick to it easier.
Close the end by the same method pressing it to the above layer.
To even the surface and connect the stripes, roll the can gently on a lightly floured surface.
Apply a thin coat of oil or just simple water so the sugar will stick to the dough better.
Traditionally chimney cakes are rolled into sugar that should caramelize during the baking process.
Place the sugar coated chimney cakes into a 400°F / 200°C preheated oven for about 10 – 15 minutes. Unfortunately, the vertical baking process is less than ideal caramelizing the sugar on the surface of the dough so we need some heavy postprocessing with a blowtorch.
Use a knife to loosen up the dough then slide it off the jar.
Coat it with freshly ground cinnamon, cocoa powder or ground nuts of choice.
Alternative sweetener - Honey
Using honey as an alternative sweetener is also an option but apart of honey is not capable creating a caramelized crunchy exterior brushing the dough with honey or any liquid sweetener before baking is not really recommended as it will drip off in the oven.
Place the dough into a 400°F / 200°C oven for about 10 - 15 minutes.
Brush them with honey or any liquid sweetener of choice.
Apply the covering either by simply sprinkling on the cake or roll them in the prepared covering.
Take the chimney cake off. We can use a simple knife to separate the cake from the can if necessary.
Alternative method- Use at own risk
Flip an electric barbecue grill up vertically on its side then place the vertically standing chimney cakes in front of it.
Although far from safe and with real chances of burning something down, creates much better looking results with honey too.