Chocolate Croissants in 30 Minutes Flat!

I faked it.  

I faked it just a little bit with these croissants.  

See, these croissants were hot from the oven and onto my breakfast plate in less than 30 minutes because I used frozen, all-butter puff pastry instead of slaving over homemade croissant dough.  Real croissant dough has yeast, a bit of sugar and milk in it.  Puff pastry does not have these elements; it’s just flour, salt, water, and more butter than you care to know.  

So you see… I didn’t spend the time folding and folding and folding croissant dough, I faked it.  I don’t feel one bit of bad.  In fact, I feel so good about faking it, here’s a few other things I’ve been known to fake.

I’ve faked a tan with that new and clever gradual tan lotion.  Thank you lotion technology.

I’ve faked a smile… when I’m feeling super extra awkward, or when I don’t like your perfume but you’re a friend of the family and I don’t want to be rude, or when I’m being paid to smile.  That last one doesn’t really happen… ever.

I’ve been faking being an adult for the last ten years.  Sometimes, well… it sure feels like I’m faking it.  

Lastly, as discussed above… I fake a dang good chocolate croissant.  Here’s what’s what on that!

I hold the strict belief that any breakfast pastry that comes out of my kitchen should take me less than an hour to make.  I just don’t have the gusto to slave over a pastry first thing in the morning.  That’s where these beauties come in.  Grab yourself a package of all-butter puff pastry, some good quality dark chocolate, an egg, a pinch of salt and let’s do this!

Easy Chocolate Croissants

     inspired by Nigella Lawson (p.s. You’re super pretty Nigella.  Super.)

     Print this Recipe!

1 (14 oz) package frozen all-butter puff pastry, left to defrost in the fridge for 2 or 3 hours

1/4 cup dark chocolate pieces, 60% or 70% cocoa solids

1 egg, beaten

a sprinkle of fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Gently unpackage the slightly thawed puff pastry and  place on a lightly floured surface.  With a light floured rolling pin, gently roll out the puff pastry, extending the dough about 1 inch on all sides.  The dough will thaw as you work it.  That’s great.  Just make sure it isn’t sticking to your work surface too much.

With the pastry sheet horizontal, make three vertical cuts, making four strips of pastry dough.  Cut each strip in half horizontally.  You’ll have eight medium sized rectangles.  Cut each rectangle in half diagonally, creating 16 triangles.  

Place each triangle so the wider part is toward you and the point is away from you.  

Place small pieces of chocolate about 1/2-inch above the wide part of the triangle. 

Carefully roll the chocolate loaded end toward the point, pinching the dough together at the beginning of the roll to ensure that the chocolate doesn’t ooze out during baking.  Once rolled, curl the ends toward the center slightly.

Place the 16 small chocolate croissants on a lined but not greased baking sheet.  Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle each top with just a bit of sea salt if you like a little salt with your chocolate.  

Place in 425 degree F oven and immediately turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden, puffed and otherwise irresistible.