Month-of-Few Ingredients: Nutty Chocolate-Nutella Croissants

Yum! Chocolate and Nutella and nuts. What could be better? If you’d only known, you could have served this at the end of your Valentine’s Day dinner.

Sandy Bremser, one of my writing critique partners is a fan of chocolate croissants. And one of my on-line writing friends, Martha Reynolds wrote a series in which the main character indulges her love of chocolate croissants. And why not? Oozy, gooey chocolate on flaky layers. I repeat. Yum!

I adapted this chocolate croissant recipe from one with two ingredients to make it into four.

And I think the two additional ingredients up the wow factor. You will notice that one of the ingredients is one on my “scared of” list: puff pastry. But since the earlier recipe worked out swell, I decided to give it another go! Besides, the stuff comes two to a box.

To make it easier, these are not rolled up from a triangle, but from a rectangle. The non-conventional shape just adds to the charm, don’t you think?

Nutty Chocolate-Nutella Croissants (makes 4 croissants)

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed per directions

1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips

2 tablespoons Nutella

¼ cup chopped pecans (or walnuts or other nut)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line your baking pan with parchment paper or Silpat sheet.

Open the puff pastry sheet on a floured cutting board and divide into four rectangles.

On the bottom third of each rectangle, place ¼ of the mixture. Fold over the bottom third, then bring the top third down to cover the edge.

Place the croissants on the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Check the oven after 12 minutes to monitor.

Serve warm or at room temperature, or quickly heat them up the next day for an extra gooey, chocolate croissant.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up  I like chocolate. DH LOVES chocolate. This was right up his alley!

If you liked this recipe, I’d really appreciate you spreading the word on your social media outlets. Here are some pre-made Twitter and Facebook posts you can use or modify.

Tweet: What’s better than chocolate croissants? This #recipe for EASY Nutty Chocolate-Nutella Croissants by @good2tweat at http://bit.ly/2lKAIcH

Facebook: On Sharon Arthur Moore’s blog, Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time, see her easy Nutty Chocolate-Nutella Croissants at http://bit.ly/2lKAIcH

A reminder:

House rules for what counts as an ingredient:

Salt and pepper are not ingredients.

Oil is not an ingredient when it’s for the cooking pan, not the recipe.

Water is not an ingredient.

Month-of-Few Ingredients: Salt and Peppered Nectarine Tart

I found this tart recipe at the Bon Appetit site and fell in love with the idea of it. They called it their easiest dessert ever. And it is! You sorta wonder, with a gourmet food site, if that’s true, but in this case rest assured. If I could do it, so can you.

Only thing is . . . The tart called for puff pastry.

I am terrified of puff pastry. Near as I can tell, it’s the only ingredient I am afraid of, but it’s so bad that I only admit this fear to my cooking friends sotto voce and in a deprecatory manner.

I had a package in my freezer—for a long time—always intending to do something, but, you know, stuff comes up. Right!

This recipe of few ingredients was originally made with plums, but any stone fruit works beautifully—plums, peaches, and in my case, nectarines. Here it is, mostly original. And before you go counting number of ingredients, remember salt and pepper don't count.

Salt and Pepper Nectarine Tart (makes 6)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed re package directions

3 ripe nectarines, cut into ½” wedges

1 tablespoon coarse sugar

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon honey

Sea salt

Preheat over to 425 degrees. Put a Silpat sheet (or parchment paper) on a baking sheet.

Cut puff pastry into six squares (you can see I messed mine up!). Place on baking sheet and prick all over with a fork.

Divide nectarines among the pastry squares, leaving a border all around the fruit.

Sprinkle with sugar and pepper.

Bake tarts 20-25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking time, until edges are puffed and golden.

Remove to cookie rack to cool. Serve with honey drizzle and salt.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up. The man never fails to surprise me. Pepper and salt on fruit? He liked it. He liked it a lot! One thing he liked, apart from the taste, was the small serving size. He also always like fruit desserts. They seem so healthful to him.

If you liked this recipe, I’d really appreciate you spreading the word on your social media outlets. Here are some pre-made Twitter and Facebook posts you can use or modify.

Tweet: Salt and Peppered Nectarine Tart #recipe? Yep, add some honey to that, and you have dessert. @Good2Tweat posted at http://bit.ly/2l6NMIe

Facebook: This dessert is not only simple, company-worthy, with few ingredients, but this dessert is also surprising! Check out Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary Time for Salt and Peppered Nectarine Tart at http://bit.ly/2l6NMIe