Chocolate Babka

This.

BABKA.

Is.

DIVINE.

The dictionary defines Babka as "rum-scented sweet yeast bread is studded with almonds, raisins and orange peel."

But chocolate-cinnamon swirled bread is what this is.

And while everyone else seems to have fond memories of their grandmother's Babka, I have none. This was my first babka experience, and I'm SO excited I made the full recipe for 3 loaves and froze two, because I get to have the babka experience again! Twice!!

This babka is no small undertaking...it involves two and a quarter pounds of chocolate and one and a quarter pounds of butter, among other things. But chocolate BABKA is very fun to say.

I found this, of course, on Smitten Kitchen, who found it on Martha Stewart, and you can go to either of those places and follow their recipes because they are rather complicated and I do not feel like typing it all out. Sorry if that's lazy- I did spend hours on the recipe, though.

Set aside an afternoon to make this bread, then invite your friend over for coffee and BABKA!!