Double Chocolate Croissants

The best part about French cuisine is definitely the baked goods – beautiful baguettes, marvelous macarons, and of course, the quintessential croissant! Most of us can't exactly stroll down to the local French bakery for an espresso and freshly baked croissant, so we're bringing that magical Parisian experience right to your home. This recipe even takes it a step further and puts a double chocolate twist on the classic croissant's buttery, flakey deliciousness. A chocolatey exterior, creamy filling, and fruity finishing touch make this take on the croissant even more délicieuse than the original!

Yield: 10 croissants
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Moderate

You'll Need:

For the chocolate dough:

• 2 cups flour
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ stick butter, softened
• ¼ cup warm milk
• 1 packet dry yeast
• ¼ cup cocoa powder + 3–4 tbsp water for the cocoa paste

For the croissant assembly:

• 1 puff pastry sheet
• 10 chocolate bars
• apricot jam

Here's How:

1. For the chocolate dough, first add the water, sugar, butter, and yeast mixture to a large bowl. Combine the lukewarm milk and dry yeast and add it to the large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix 3–4 tablespoons of water with the cocoa powder until a thick paste forms. Add the cocoa paste to the large bowl and knead the ingredients using an hand mixer with a dough hook. Once a smooth dough has formed, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and dust your work surface with flour. Remove the chocolate dough from the fridge and roll it out into a  20 x 14-inch rectangle. Place the puff pastry sheet on top of the chocolate dough and roll the rolling pin over both simultaneously, merging them together.

3. Use a pizza cutter to trim off any excess dough. You should be left with an even, rectangular piece of dough with straight edges.

4. Make marks at 4-inch intervals at both the top and bottom of the dough rectangle. Using a pizza cutter, cut straight lines in the dough, connecting the marks you made. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form even triangles.

5. Make a small incision on the wide side of the dough triangle and place a rectangular bar of chocolate on the dough near the incision.

6. Roll up the dough, starting at the wider end, to form a croissant shape. Repeat this technique with the remainder of the ingredients and place the double chocolate croissants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Transfer the baking tray to the oven and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

7. Remove the croissants from the oven and let them cool. Mix the apricot jam with some water to thin it slightly, then heat the mixture on low heat until warm. Brush the apricot glaze over the cooled croissants. 

8. Now your double chocolate croissants are ready to be served!

Once you try these delicious pastries, you'll never go back to the traditional version – you might even say they pale in comparison! If you're a croissant purist and don't believe us, try them for yourself and enjoy a little taste of France right at home!

Get the recipe for the Crazy Cruffins featured in the bonus video.