2tablespoonsespresso or instant coffee powderI used a mocha-flavored
1/2cuppowdered sugar
about 1/2 cup sliced almondsor your favorite nut, chopped
Icing
1-1/3cupspowdered sugar
2tablespoonsmilkyou may need to add more
1teaspoonvanilla
Instructions
In a mixer with a dough hook (or you can start by mixing with a wooden spoon and switch over to kneading to bring it together), combine the cake mix, yeast, salt and two cups of flour.
Mix until it's well combined and add the water slowly while the mixer continues to run.
Add in the rest of the flour, and mix until everything is well combined and the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl to form a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured workspace, sprinkle the top with more flour and knead five or six times with floured hands until it forms into a well-shaped ball.
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and allow it to rise until it's doubled in size (mine took about 20 minutes).
When the dough is almost ready to work with, combine the chocolate chips and butter into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10 to 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients except the sliced almonds and set aside.
Punch the dough down and roll out into a large rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
Spread the filling out evenly over the entire rectangle of dough and sprinkle on the almonds.
Tightly roll the rectangle from the long side so that you get a nice, long, snake-like roll.
Cut the roll into 1-1/2-inch thick slices.
Grease two 9x12-inch pans and place the slices, with one of the cut sides up, into the pans. Space them out a bit to give them room to rise.
Cover both pans with a clean cloth and let them rise for about 30 more minutes or until they double in size.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until they are a golden brown.
Before serving, mix the icing ingredients together until smooth. If it's too thick, add a little more milk until you get the consistency you like.
Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes, and then drizzle or spread the icing over top of them.