Warm, gooey, comforting Macaroni and Cheese
Almost February and we all are in the same dreary place… somewhere between paying-for-the-past-holiday-season, surviving the latest onslaught of dismal winter weather, or just trying to find a way to conjure up positive thoughts for those enduring so many hardships given the economic world status. We need an escape, something to transport us to our happy place, pleasant soothing memories, we need comfort.
Enter the magic of Macaroni and Cheese, warm Chocolate Croissants, and crunchy hot panini sandwiches; the ultimate Comfort Foods. It’s easy to see why these recipes are classified under “comfort”. They warm you from the inside out. As each dish cooks up the kitchen is filled with wonderful sights and smells. What could be more tantalizing to the eye than creamy hot chocolate oozing from a warm, golden, buttery, croissant. Yum. Another bonus is comfort on the wallet. Surprisingly, most gooey, bubbly, cheesy hot-dishes happen to be very cost effective for a family on a budget.
Over the next several posts I’ll share several of my favorite, effortless, Comfort Food recipes that should help get you through the winter doldrums. This recipe for Chocolate Croissants is sinfully simple and is perfect with a big mug of steamy hot coffee or tea. Serve it for breakfast to jump start your day or for dessert.
Chocolate Croissants (Pains au Chocolat)
Pain au Chocolat
Ingredients:
- 1 (13-ounce) packet ready rolled butter puff pastry or Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough**
- 1 (100-gram) chocolate bar (milk or dark depending on taste)
- 1 egg beaten
**Crescent dough can be substituted but I found the puff pastry to be more flavorful.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Unfurl the sheet of pastry and then cut it into 6 squares. Cut each square diagonally to give 2 triangles (they will appear quite small). Put the triangle with the wider part facing you and the point away from you.
Break off small pieces of chocolate (approx.1cm/half inch) to place about 2cm/ 3/4-inch up from the wide end nearest you. Then carefully roll from that chocolate loaded end towards the point of the triangle. You should now have something resembling a straight croissant, seal it slightly with your fingertips and curl it around into a crescent.
Place the chocolate croissants on a lined baking tray and paint with the beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and puffy and exuberantly, if miniaturely, croissant-like.
Cooks’ note: Baked and cooled pains au chocolat keep 1 month: First freeze them, uncovered, on baking sheets until firm, then wrap them snugly in foil before returning to freezer. When ready to serve, remove foil and bake (not thawed) on a baking sheet in a 325°F oven 5 to 10 minutes.
Download printable copy: Chocolate Croissants
Posted by:Linda Hawkinson
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
They really are good. I don’t know how comforting it will be come spring when my butt is twice it’s size from all the comfort!! Great exercise of discipline.
Okay, this one I have to share with my friends on facebook! Easy and looks delicious…my kind of comfort food!
One more note: I opted to make 6 croissants from one Puff Pastry Sheet and put a bit more chocolate in it. More is better!
These take minutes to make (doesn’t matter if it’s the Pillsbury dough or the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry dough) and they taste like they were baked by some gourmet chef! I’ve made them with semi-sweet and milk chocolate… with chocolate chips and chunks of Godiva chocolate bars and it’s ALL GOOD!!
Mmmmmm! These sound so nummy on a cold “rainy” day in MN. Yes, I said rainy! (Snow is on the way) Thanks for sharing!