Pain au chocolat

Pain au chocolat, also known as a chocolate croissant, is a delightful French pastry made with buttery, flaky layers of pastry dough wrapped around sticks of chocolate. Here's a basic recipe to make pain au chocolat at home:

Ingredients:

- 1 sheet of puff pastry (store-bought or homemade)

- 6-8 sticks of high-quality dark chocolate (about 3.5 oz or 100g)

- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

- Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.

3. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the puff pastry into equal-sized rectangles, approximately 4-5 inches wide and 6-7 inches long.

4. Place a stick of chocolate horizontally at the bottom edge of each puff pastry rectangle.

5. Roll up each rectangle tightly around the chocolate stick, starting from the bottom edge and rolling towards the top edge. Seal the seam by pressing it gently with your fingers.

6. Place the rolled pain au chocolat seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each pastry.

7. Brush the tops of the pain au chocolat with beaten egg to create a shiny golden crust when baked.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastries are puffed up and golden brown.

9. Remove the pain au chocolat from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly.

10. Optionally, dust the warm pain au chocolat with powdered sugar before serving.

11. Serve the pain au chocolat warm or at room temperature, and enjoy the delicious combination of buttery pastry and melted chocolate!

Pain au chocolat is best enjoyed fresh on the day it's baked, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Simply reheat them in a preheated oven for a few minutes before serving to regain their crispness. Enjoy!