Chocolate Nut Strudel

Chocolate for breakfast is always a good idea.

This strudel is not strictly for breakfast. In fact, my husband would probably say that this is really a dessert. I see bakery shops sell this kind of pastry with coffee. You drink coffee with breakfast. So naturally a pastry like this strudel should be eaten for breakfast. (Take that logic!) I’m a chocoholic so maybe you can’t go by me. This is not meant to be a big debate. If you make this strudel, you can eat it whatever time of the day you want. 🙂

I can’t even begin to tell you how super duper delicious this strudel is. This is one of those times where I really wish that you could reach into your computer screen and grab a piece to see what I’m talking about. Just imagine chocolate and nuts in between layers of buttery pastry. It’s almost impossible to go wrong with those ingredients, especially when they’re combined into one amazing bite.

All this delicious comes with an extra awesome feature. It is crazy easy to make. If you’re like me then the “easy” criteria is sometimes a crucial element as to whether I’ll actually make it. I want German chocolate cake… wait, it takes 5 hours to make, forget it. Using a pre-made pastry sheet from the store is a key time saver here. Plus, it conveniently comes in the shape that I need for this recipe, which is a bonus. (Hi, I’m a perfectionist.)

The powdered sugar is a nice finishing touch, but is not strictly required. Unless you are me, in which case it is absolutely required. In fact, I would have sprinkled more of the precious white sugar on top because I’m obsessed with it, but I figured seeing a white log shaped thing in photographs might look weird. 😉 My husband, being my cut everything ninja in the kitchen guy, would also like to point out that the powdered sugar gets all over your hands and clothes when you try to slice this thing. So perhaps, less is more in this case.

Chocolate Nut Strudel Recipe
(About 8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed (I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry – Sheet shape.)
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips.)
2 tablespoons milk (I used almond milk but dairy will work too.)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
about 1 tablespoon of flour (for rolling out the puff pastry)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
powdered sugar, for dusting on top after it’s done baking

Directions:

Take the puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw. This takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Don’t skip this step, puff pastry is famous for breaking when it’s not fully thawed.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small microwave safe bowl, add the chopped chocolate, milk, and butter. Place it in the microwave for 30 seconds on Medium (50%), stir, and repeat until the mixture is melted and smooth. Set it aside.
Sprinkle a little bit of flour on your work surface and carefully unfold the thawed pastry sheet on top of it.
Roll the pastry sheet into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle.
Spread the chocolate mixture on top of the pastry, leaving 1 and 1/2 inches from each edge.
Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top of the chocolate mixture.
Starting at the short end, roll the pastry up.
Place the roll seam side down on a baking sheet and tuck the ends under.
In a small bowl, beat the egg and water to create an egg wash and then brush the egg mixture on top of the pastry roll. (You will NOT use all of it, so don’t just dump it on.)
Bake it for about 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
Remove the strudel from the baking sheet and let it cool on a wire rack.
Sprinkle with the powdered sugar when you are ready to serve.