Chocolate croissants with pastry cream

Chocolate and Pastry Cream Croissants

Discover the pleasure of making fluffy and delicious croissants filled with chocolate and pastry cream, which will transform any meal into a special moment. This simple yet sophisticated recipe promises an elegant dessert, perfect for special occasions or to treat the family on the weekend. Get ready to impress with this chocolate croissant recipe that can be easily made at home.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Total time: 55-60 minutes
Number of servings: 12 croissants

Ingredients:

For the dough:
- 500 g type 00 flour (ideal for pastry)
- 10 g salt
- 50 g sugar
- 10 g dry yeast or 25 g fresh yeast
- 250 ml warm milk
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 30 ml sunflower oil or melted butter (optional)

For the filling:
- 100 g dark or milk chocolate, broken into cubes
- 200 g pastry cream (you can use store-bought or make it at home)

For brushing:
- 1 egg (beaten, for glazing)

Preparation:

1. Start by activating the yeast. In a small bowl, combine the dry yeast with 50 ml of the warm milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until foam forms on the surface.

2. In a food processor, place the flour, remaining sugar, salt, and eggs. Add the warm milk and the activated yeast mixture. Mix the ingredients at medium speed until you obtain a smooth dough. If using melted butter, add it now.

3. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until it becomes elastic and smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, you can knead by hand on a well-floured surface.

4. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in volume.

5. Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface, forming a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Cut the dough into isosceles triangles, with a base of about 10-12 cm.

6. On each triangle, place a cube of chocolate and a tablespoon of pastry cream, then roll the dough from the base of the triangle towards the tip, forming a croissant. Make sure the tip is well sealed.

7. Place the croissants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between them to allow for rising. Cover them with a towel and let them rise again for 30 minutes.

8. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush the croissants with the beaten egg to give them a beautiful golden color when baked.

9. Bake the croissants for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden and fluffy.

10. Remove the croissants from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Serving:

These chocolate and pastry cream croissants are perfect to be served warm, alongside a cup of coffee or tea. You can dust them with powdered sugar for an elegant look and a sweet taste. If desired, you can also add a splash of vanilla extract to the pastry cream for an extra flavor.

Possible variations:

Instead of chocolate, you can try a filling with fruit jam, nut cream, or even sweet cheese with raisins. You can also experiment with different types of flour, such as whole wheat or almond flour, for a healthier option.

These chocolate and pastry cream croissants are not only a delicacy but also a wonderful way to impress your family and friends. Happy cooking and enjoy every bite!

In the robot, I put all the ingredients (eggs at room temperature, warm milk) except for the butter. Mix/knead well until it becomes a firm (somewhat elastic), smooth dough. After making the dough, let it rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, let's make the cream: Boil the milk with 20g of sugar and vanilla sugar. Beat the two egg yolks with 20g of sugar until they turn white, then add the starch. When the milk boils, pour it over the beaten egg yolks with sugar and mix. Place the pot on a bain-marie and let the mixture boil until it thickens, then set it aside and let the cream cool, finally adding the butter. After 15 minutes, take the dough and roll it out. Place the slices of butter in the middle. Now fold it three times with pauses of 10 minutes, like French dough. If the butter oozes out, you can keep the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes instead of the fridge. Then roll out the dough and cut it into 8 pieces. Prepare the baking tray with parchment paper, take one piece of dough, roll it out gently with a rolling pin, place the pastry cream in the middle (using a piping bag) and add chocolate on the sides, roll it up and place it on the tray. After you finish, let them rest for 30 minutes. Before putting them in the oven, you must brush them with egg yolk mixed with water. Preheat the oven to 200°C; they say 20 minutes, but for me, it was a bit too long, so I suggest between 15 and 20 minutes. The recipe for Croissants with chocolate and pastry cream was proposed by Cristina on the recipe forum. Other recipes for croissants can be found here: Baker's croissants, Delicious cream croissants, Layered chocolate croissants.

 Ingredients: DOUGH: 250 g flour, 5 g salt, 30 g powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon dry yeast or 15 g fresh yeast, 100 ml warm milk, 130 g butter (I would say 100 g is enough, semi-soft), 1 egg. PASTRY CREAM: 180 ml milk, 40 g sugar, 1 packet vanilla sugar, 2 egg yolks, 16 g starch, 18 g butter.