Cocoa Bagels with Sweet Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread!

Well, between this week and last, I guess I'm back to feeding my addiction for bagels and soft pretzels. For those of you who don't share my penchant for these delicious boiled breads, I promise that next week I will feature something "unboiled". But really, I just COULDN'T resist trying these chocolate-y chewy bagels. A wonderful thing about them is that there is no sugar in the dough, so you can easily justify slathering them with a good helping of the slightly sweet cream cheese spread! I tried them fresh out of the oven (totally yummy!) and then the next morning, I tried them toasted (also totally yummy!). As far as the peanut butter chip topping goes, I will say that it does add that sweet touch but the plain ones were just as good when they were topped with the cream cheese. I had a thought to perhaps top them with chopped peanuts, but I couldn't justify making them again so soon!  Maybe you can try that and report to me how they are.......I anticipate a good report!! 

Depending on the size you choose, this recipe will make 8-10 bagels. The dough is heavenly to work with, so have fun baking these tasty treats! 

Cocoa Bagels with Sweet Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread!

Dough:

1 ½ Cups warm water

1 Tbsp/packet Red Star Platinum yeast

½  tsp. vanilla

3 Cups unbleached bread flour

¼ unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½  tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. instant coffee granules

Topping:

2 Tbsp. coarse sugar

1 Tbsp. mini peanut butter chips, frozen then crushed (if desired)

You can mix the two, or just use the sugar……

Cream Cheese Spread:

4 oz. whipped cream cheese

1 Tbsp. peanut butter

2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Place warm water and yeast in EZ DOH bucket and stir to dissolve yeast. Let rest 1 minute. Add one cup of flour, then additional dough ingredients. EZ DOH-it for 2-3 minutes, or until dough is smooth and soft and all ingredients are incorporated (add up to ¼ Cup of extra flour if needed if dough is too sticky). Remove dough from bucket, spray bucket with cooking spray, “smooth” dough and replace in bucket. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Divide the dough into 8-10 equal portions. Roll into balls. Place your thumb in the center of each ball and tug gently to form a  larger-than-desired hole (it will get smaller as it rises and bakes). Cover the bagels with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 and  heat 10 cups of water in a large pot to boiling. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with baking parchment paper. Place 3-4 bagels in the water and boil 35 seconds on each side . Remove boiled bagels with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Move bagels to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle them with coarse sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Mix cream cheese spread ingredients. Cut bagels and toast, if desired. Spread with cream cheese. ENJOY!! 

Recipe adapted from Red Star Yeast recipe

Cocoa Bagels with Sweet Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Spread!