What’s better than a little puff pastry? A little puff pastry braided around a big ol’ bar of chocolate. If you have those two ingredients in your pantry and freezer, you’re almost there. But this chili chocolate braid takes things one step further by giving it a Mexican chocolate flavor with cinnamon and chili powder.
I’ve explored the Mexican hot chocolate trend before with these Mexican hot chocolate brownie donuts and this Mexican chocolate coffee mug cake. A few things make chocolate taste EXTRA chocolatey: coffee, espresso, and cinnamon. Yum.
Pick your chocolate poison and experience chocolate bliss. This chili chocolate braid is all about the cinnamon with a hint of heat.
The braiding part (see how below!) is actually far easier than it looks. It’s just a matter of making sure there are an equal number of angled cuts for the criss-crossing. Once the cuts are made, it’s just like crossing the streams. Unlike in Ghostbusters, it’s totally safe. Unless you want a marshmallow man to show up… who’s thinking s’mores now?!
Next time we add marshmallows and grahams. Oh yes.
This is more forgiving than it looks, I promise.
Wham bam. Almost done.
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Ingredients
- 1 frozen puff pastry sheet
- 4 oz chocolate bar (I used sugar free)
- 1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder, to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp shaved almonds
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar (I used Swerve sugar free)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 385 F.
- Place the frozen dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and defrost for about 30 minutes. The dough should be pliable but still cold. Unroll the dough.
- Place the chocolate bar in the middle of the dough. You can use any flavor bar you like!
- Make four cuts at the top and bottom as shown to fold over the edges. Then make 5-7 angled cuts along the edges of the dough as shown in the photos.
- Sprinkle the chocolate with as much of the chili powder as you like for your preferred level of heat. I used 1 tsp total. then sprinkle on the cinnamon.
- Fold the top and the bottom ends over the chocolate, then start criss-crossing the angled strips over each other to braid.
- Whisk the egg in a bowl and brush on the top and sides of the braid.
- Bake the pastry according to the package directions, about 16-18 minutes until almost golden.
- Sprinkle with almonds and return to the oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool for another 10 minutes then dust with powdered sugar and serve warm!
If you make this recipe, share a photo and hashtag it #BIJOUXANDBITS. I’d love to see what you’re cooking!
Catherine Clark is a Chicago native sharing noteworthy things she sees and attempts to make in the world. She's a geek, cat lady, designer and editor by day, and noob chef by night.
