Some of you may have noticed there is a trend happening here on the blog. I would like to say it was intentional, but that wouldn't exactly be truthful. If you have seen a shift toward easy (or easier) to make recipes, you have keen powers of perception and observation! What prompted me to share less complicated recipes for beautiful, delicious food will be one of those unsolved mysteries. Who knows how long this trend will last, so it's duration is definitely one worth celebrating. More importantly, these simple or simpler recipes are the ones you want to put in your 'keepers' file. Especially these flaky, decadent, semi-homemade Chocolate Croissants!
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Yes, these three ingredient French classic inspired Chocolate Croissants are made with only three ingredients! And you probably know what I am going to say next, because redundancy is my middle name. The quality of ingredients matter. But more on that in just a bit.
For those you have ever eaten a croissant or two or three in France, Switzerland, London or anywhere else in Europe, your bar for mouthwatering Chocolate Croissants is set pretty high. Which means the challenge for me in sharing a recipe promising to evoke all of your fondest memories is a bit daunting. But it's a challenge I am willing to accept.
What makes the croissants in Europe, particularly in France, taste so good is the high in fat content butter used in making the puff pastry. The biggest difference between an 'authentic' Chocolate Croissant and this one has everything to do with the puff pastry. This recipe uses a high quality pre-made puff pastry rather than one made from scratch. There are several pre-made puff pastry options available at the grocery store, but the one I would strongly recommend using for these croissants is made by Dufour. Hands down it is a winner. Slightly more expensive than other commercially made puff pastry, but worth every penny. Swap out a different puff pastry (other than homemade) when making these Chocolate Croissants and you will have drastically changed the recipe.
Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate is both melted and semi-finely chopped. I melted and chopped up Guittard's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (46% cocao) and was thrilled with the results. However, if there was one swap in the ingredients you could make in this recipe, it would be using a good quality chocolate with a higher percentage of cocao. You might even want to use Nutella if you love the flavor of hazelnut.
The third ingredient is one large egg or one large egg yolk. There are many recipes for egg washes. Some using the egg only, some adding a little water to the egg, and others adding a little milk or cream to the egg. This recipe uses the egg only. I brushed them with a whole egg, but for a more golden finish, you could brush them with just one egg yolk.
To make these Chocolate Croissants you have to first thaw the frozen puff pastry (Dufour only comes frozen). On a lightly floured surface it's rolled out to about an 1/8" thickness. After cutting the sheet in half, the melted chocolate is thinly spread out on one half of the puff pastry using an offset spatula. The semi-finely chopped chocolate gets sprinkled on the melted chocolate before the plain half is laid on top and pressed down lightly. Note: If you were making a double batch of these Chocolate Croissants, you would buy two packages of the Dufour puff pastry, roll both out, and lay one on top of the other. The amount of chocolate needed should then be doubled.
Using a very sharp knife or very sharp pizza cutter, you will cut out 8 triangles. At the widest point, the triangle will range between 1 1/2" - 2". Staring at the widest end of the triangle, the croissants get tightly rolled up and placed on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Brush off any excess flour on the rolled croissants before generously brushing on the egg wash. To help ensure the tip of the croissant doesn't lift during the baking process, brush some of the egg wash under it so it adheres better to the pastry. Note: If you roll out the puff pastry between two sheets of parchment paper, you won't have to worry about any flour adhering to the puff pastry.
In a 425 degree (F) preheated oven, the Chocolate Croissants bake for anywhere between 22-26 minutes. The croissants are done when they have puffed up and are deep golden in color. If under baked, the croissants will be more doughy than crispy. Note: To find the right amount of baking time for your oven, you can bake up one in the oven. Store the others (unbrushed with egg wash in refrigerator) while the first one bakes. Or you just can bake all of them for the recommended time range.
A fresh out of the oven, golden, flaky, buttery, chocolatey croissant eaten any time of the day is one of those just pinch me moment indulgences. If you want to spoil your family and friends or if you want to relive that memorable trip across the pond, make them these Chocolate Croissants.
These Chocolate Croissants are a tad on the decadent side and maybe a bit over the top, but they are destined to make anyone you bake them for feel loved. And serving beautifully delicious, especially easy to make food doesn't get any better than that.
Recipe
Chocolate Croissants
Makes 8
Ingredients
14 ounce (396g) package of puff pastry (recommend Dufour), thawed
4 ounces (112g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, melted
1 ounce (28g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, semi-finely chopped
1 large egg or 1 large egg yolk (using only an egg yolk will give you the deepest finished color on the baked croissants)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a heavy bottomed rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. On a lightly flowered surface, roll out the puff pastry to about a 1/8" inch thickness. OR roll out between two sheets of parchment paper.
3. Cut the puff pastry in half.
4. Spread the melted chocolate thinly over one half of the puff pastry. If using the chopped chocolate, evenly sprinkle over the melted chocolate.
5. Place the other half of the puff pastry on top. Use a very sharp knife or pizza cutter to make 8 triangles (bottom of each triangle should be 1 1/2" - 2").
6. Generously brush the egg wash or egg yolk over each croissant.
7. Bake for 22-26 minutes or until they are puffed and a deep golden color.
8. Remove from the oven. Let cool slightly. These Chocolate Croissants are heavenly when enjoyed warm, but they are also very delicious when they come to room temperature.
Notes: (1) Store the baked croissants at room temperature, uncovered if there is low humidity in your house. Covered if the humidity is high. (2) Pepperidge Farm also sells pre-made puff pastry. It is generally found in the refrigerated section of the grocery aisle. If you can't find Dufour puff pastry or are not making your own, you can use this one. The results may be slightly different. (3) Instead of melted chocolate, you can also use Nutella. You will need a little more than a half cup for this recipe.