Chocolate Swirl Pastries

Whether you're looking for a sweet way to treat yourself when you wake up or you want a yummy pick-me-up during the day, you can't go wrong with a delicious pastry. While croissants are classic and cinnamon buns tend to really hit the spot, we've all eaten them a thousand times before. It's time to broaden your horizons and try a new pastry – one that's got the looks and the taste. These chocolate swirl pastries, filled with ooey, gooey melted chocolate and topped with icing and frozen yogurt, are about to make things interesting again!

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Moderate

You'll Need:

For the yeast dough:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp dry yeast
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ¾ stick butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder

For the chocolate swirl pastries:

• yeast dough
• 1 egg for the egg wash
• 12 squares of semi-sweet chocolate
• icing
• frozen yogurt to serve

Here's How:

1. For the yeast dough, heat up the milk until it's lukewarm, stir in the dry yeast, then stir in a teaspoon of both flour and sugar. Let the mixture rest in a warm spot for about 10 minutes, until it begins to foam. Combine the remainder of the flour and sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, egg, and salt in a bowl. Once everything is combined, add in the yeast mixture and knead the ingredients together until a smooth dough forms. Once the dough is ready, divide it in half and work the cocoa powder into one of the halves. Cover both halves of dough and let them rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Once the yeast dough has risen, divide each half into 3 equal sections. Roll each section out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter and slice each circle into 8 equal sections.

2. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking tray with baking paper. Stack 8 slices of dough on top of one another, alternating between plain and chocolate, then press a wooden skewer firmly down in the center of the stack.

3. Pinch the dough at the tip and twist it.

4. Place the yeast dough twist on the baking tray and press down in the center to create a small well. Repeat this process with the remainder of the dough.

5. Stick 2 squares of semi-sweet chocolate in the center of each yeast dough twist. Whisk an egg for the egg wash and brush it over the surface of each pastry. Transfer the baking tray to the oven and bake the chocolate swirl pastries at 325°F for 25 minutes.

6. Remove the chocolate swirl pastries from the oven, drizzle icing over them, and serve with your favorite flavor of frozen yogurt.

There's no turning back once you try these tasty treats. Between their light, fluffy texture, stunning design, and delicious flavor, they're absolutely irresistible. Move over cruffins, there's a new pastry in town!