Chocolate Croissants

Making croissants from scratch is no small feat.  I learned this first hand last year when I attended a baking class for that very purpose.  It was a multiple hour endeavor filled with lots of learning, technique, precision and, finally, indulging!  But my takeaway (besides the fruits of my labor) was: this is serious work.  And while I'm not one to shy away from something I love because of the effort involved, I can certainly appreciate a well-suited shortcut to get me to my end goal.  And in the case of making croissants in my own kitchen, thankfully, there was such a shortcut to be had.

Keeping my class recipe notes at bay, when I decided to bring the same flaky, buttery deliciousness I love in a good great croissant into being, I went for one of my favorite ingredients: store-bought puff pastry.  I'm a big fan of how easy it is to create both sweet and savory delicacies with it, and I enjoy using it in everything from turnovers to sticky buns to tops for my homemade pot pies and more.  It's an indispensable "star ingredient" when I need good pastry in a relative hurry.

So what could be better than the flaky, buttery goodness I was describing?  The same with chocolate and sea salt tucked inside!  (These days sea salt and chocolate are virtually inseparable in my kitchen.)  With my ingredients at the ready, scrumptious chocolate croissants were waiting to be devoured in a matter of minutes.  And breaking open a croissant to see the melted chocolate oozing on the flaky dough was the icing on top.

Whether you're talking breakfast, breakfast in bed, brunch, or breakfast for dinner, this recipe will have you off to the perfect sweet start--and finish.  It deserves all the love you'll want to give it, and it will definitely love you back.

Happy Eating!

Chocolate Croissants

printable recipe

Ingredients:
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed and chilled
1 chocolate bar, chopped in small squares, or chocolate chips
Sea Salt
Flour, for dusting the work surface
1 egg, beaten
Turbinado sugar, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Roll out pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough into large squares (6 to 8), then cut each square diagonally to form triangle pieces.  Place the chocolate on the dough closer to the wider end and sprinkle with the salt.  Roll the dough towards the narrow end to seal, being sure to tuck in the overhang.  Round the sides inward to form the crescent/croissant shape.  Brush the croissants with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, if using.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve warm and enjoy!