By I crossed the bridge to Anapra on Wednesday — the weekly visit. Lupita's kitchen runs like a clock. The neighborhood women come at dawn. The school children visit. The bakery is what Rosa would have wanted: a warm place with good bread in the neighborhood where she cooked for forty years.
Every Wednesday I watch Lupita pull warm things from the oven — and it reminded me that the best bread is the kind made for other people. When I got home, I wanted to bake something that carried that same spirit: generous, a little sweet, and built for sharing across a table. This Chocolate and Cherry Stromboli felt exactly right — it’s the kind of recipe Rosa would have smiled at, the kind that fills a kitchen with the smell of something good and gives neighbors a reason to linger just a little longer.
Chocolate and Cherry Stromboli
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb refrigerated or homemade pizza dough
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (for topping)
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare the filling. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips, dried cherries, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together until evenly mixed.
- Roll the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pizza dough into a rectangle approximately 12 x 10 inches.
- Add butter and filling. Brush the melted butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Spread the chocolate-cherry filling evenly over the buttered area.
- Roll and seal. Starting from one of the long edges, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seam and both ends firmly to seal in the filling. Place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Apply egg wash. Brush the top and sides of the stromboli with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Using a sharp knife, make 3–4 shallow diagonal slits across the top to allow steam to escape.
- Bake. Bake for 22–25 minutes, or until the stromboli is deep golden brown and the dough is cooked through.
- Cool and serve. Allow to rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar if desired, and serve warm.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 320mg