QUICK PAIN AU CHOCOLAT RECIPE with ready-made puff pastry
PAIN AU CHOCOLAT is a typical French pastry, a pride of traditional “Viennoiserie”, made with the same dough used for croissants or with brioche dough, which vaguely resembles our CHOCOLATE ROLLS.
The term “pain au chocolat” literally means chocolate bread and originates from the old French habit of having chocolate sandwiched in a piece of baguette for breakfast. Later, the bread was replaced by the more fragrant puff pastry and it eventually spread across Europe.
In fact, the Pain au Chocolat, or as I prefer to call them, the Chocolate Roll, is a dessert made with puff pastry (or brioche) in a square shape, inside of which two chocolate sticks are rolled.
The original recipe is quite difficult, requiring time and complete mastery of the basic pastry techniques, but like most of you, I don’t have the time nor the knowledge to execute it. So, I found this “shortcut” using ready-made puff pastry, and I assure you the result is amazing.
Sure, it won’t be like those from the boulangeries of Paris, but I assure you that when you bake them, your house will be filled with the exquisite aroma of puff pastry enriched with chocolate pieces, and you’ll be eager to bite into these little guilty pleasures!
Pain au Chocolat is the perfect way to give your day a boost or spoil your family during breakfast, but also a deliciously sweet and irresistible snack.
Pastries full of chocolate that are super flaky and crispy on the outside, and airy on the inside, impossible to resist!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6/8 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Energy 263.65 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 23.82 (g) of which sugars 9.17 (g)
- Proteins 4.04 (g)
- Fat 17.26 (g) of which saturated 3.83 (g)of which unsaturated 8.61 (g)
- Fibers 0.71 (g)
- Sodium 72.23 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 roll puff pastry (rectangular)
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate chips (or a dark chocolate bar)
- egg yolk (for brushing the surface)
- dark chocolate
- powdered sugar
Tools
- Parchment paper
- Baking pan
Steps
Unroll the puff pastry horizontally and cut 4 strips horizontally (or the same height as the short side of the chocolate bar). Cut again in two vertically. This way you’ll get 8 rectangles.
Handle the chocolate: if you’ve decided to use chocolate chips, spread them across the surface of each rectangle. If you’re using a chocolate bar, note that for each roll you’ll need two chocolate sticks.
Take a rectangle and distribute the chocolate chips. Or, if using a chocolate bar, place a chocolate stick (usually 4 squares of a bar) at each end. Roll the rectangle onto itself until the pastry is fully wrapped.
Place the Pain au Chocolat on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, and brush the surface with egg yolk. Bake at 356°F for about 30 minutes. If they still seem undercooked inside, cover them with aluminum foil to prevent burning on the surface and continue a few more minutes. They’re done when they appear nicely flaky and golden. Enjoy your pain au chocolat while they’re still warm and crispy.
NOTES
CHOCOLATE: You can use either chocolate chips, which I prefer because they distribute more evenly in the dough, or classic chocolate bars. Dark chocolate should be used, but nothing prevents replacing it with milk chocolate if you prefer.
STORAGE
Store leftover Pain au Chocolat at room temperature under a glass dome. It’s best to eat them on the same day to maintain their crispiness. You can also freeze them immediately after assembling, defrost as needed, then brush and bake them.
