A few weeks ago Bogdan and I hosted a BBQ for colleagues and I decided we needed 7 packages of puff pastry – just in case. Not only did we not get through all 7 packages that night, we didn’t even use one. So I’ve been put in the very difficult position of finding tasty and non-repetitive ways to use them all.
The first package went towards a cheater version of Italian sfogliatelle I found on Pinterest. It’s a very simple recipe involving a little dollop of cream cheese, a spoonful of orange marmalade and a dusting of cinnamon (my own addition) placed in the middle of a square and folded over itself into a small rectangular envelope shape.
The second iteration was ham and cheese turnovers – rolls of ham and shredded cheese folded into a triangle shaped turnover. Super simple, fast and really tasty for a party (or sitting on the couch on a Saturday night – no judgment.)
For the third package I had something rich, sweet and decadent in mind. I remembered I had two large chocolate letters in the pantry given to each of us as gifts for Sinterklaas, the feast of Saint Nicholas celebrated in the Netherlands with gifts like, you guessed it, chocolate letters.
Since the chocolate letters I had were white and dark chocolate, I decided to combine them. Of course you can just use a bar of milk or dark chocolate as you please. The basic premise couldn’t be simpler. The chocolate doesn’t even need to be chopped up, in fact it’s simpler to roll if you leave it in larger pieces – I learned that one the hard way.
The basic idea is that you place a square or two of chocolate on one end of a square of puff pastry, and then roll it up like a rug. Not too tight. A simple egg wash and a sprinkling of sliced almonds (if you have them) adds wow factor as does a little dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
It’s a really simple recipe that makes a lovely party dessert or even a sneaky sugar-laden but totally acceptable treat at breakfast or brunch…or Saturday night on the couch. Again, no judgment.
However you choose to eat these, you’ll be super happy with the result especially given the low time and effort involved for a pretty impressive presentation.
Happy snacking friends.
Until next time,
Cristina
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Quick & Easy Petit Pain au Chocolat
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-11 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
A party and brunch-friendly take on the classic pain au chocolat. Made with premade puff pastry sheets, chocolate and almond slices, these elegant pastries are fast, easy and simple to make with just a few ingredients and about 10 minutes of hands on prep.
Ingredients
- 1 package premade puff pastry
- 60 grams / 2 oz chocolate
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)
- powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F
- Open the puff pastry and lay it out on parchment paper. Use a sharp knife or pizza roller to cut the sheet into rectangles. Depending on the size and dimensions of your puff pastry sheet, you can get anywhere between 8 – 11 rectangles. I like to make some of my rectangles vertical and some horizontal in order to get the best shape out of the sheet. Your mileage may vary.
- While I diced up my chocolate in order to mix white and dark bars, I don’t recommend dicing the chocolate even if its to mix chocolates. The larger the pieces the easier it is to roll so roughly cut the chocolate into approximate rectangles a bit smaller than the width of the puff pastry rectangles.
- Place them at one end of the puff pastry rectangle and roll it up gently like a carpet and place them seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet with at least 2cm / 1 inch space between them.
- In a bowl beat the egg vigorously and then use a basting brush to baste each of the pastries with the egg wash. then evenly distribute the sliced almonds on them.
- Bake at 200 C / 400 F for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar and serve.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: French
