Puff au Chocolat avec Fraises, Basilic, Fleur de Sel

Puff au Chocolat avec Fraises, Basilic, Fleur de Sel

Celebrate Cupid’s holiday with Puff au Chocolat!  Heart-shaped, check. Chocolate, check. Strawberries, check. Plus somethings a bit unexpected on Valentine’s Day – basil and salt. But the combination really is stellar. And you’ll have plenty of time to spend with your sweetheart, as this recipe uses store-bought puff pastry and takes only about 20 minutes (active time) to compose.

You might serve some creme fraiche on the side or pair with a glass of sherry. We like Bodega Dios Baco NV Oloroso Sherry from Jerez, Spain which has wonderful aromas of nuts, vanilla and caramel with rich semi-sweet creamy flavors. Oloroso sherries offer a terrific balance between sweet and dry.

xoxo

Puff au Chocolat Recipe

(technique adapted from Barbara Lynch)

9 X 9 sheet of puff pastry dough, thawed and chilled

1 egg, beaten

Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

Cut the dough into the shape of a heart, place on the parchment paper.

Pierce the dough all over with a fork. Brush with egg.

Place another piece of parchment on top of the dough.

Top with another baking sheet, then weight it down with an overproof skillet.

Bake at 375° for about 25 minutes until golden. Cool completely.

3.5 oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped

3.5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 c. creme fraiche

2 t. rum

2 t. sugar

Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan – whisk creme fraiche, rum, and sugar over low heat until smooth.

Place chocolate bowl over a pot of hot water.

Pour creme fraiche mixture over chocolate and whisk until melted.

Spread chocolate over pastry.

(There may be extra chocolate ganache, enjoy!).

Arrange sliced strawberries atop the chocolate.

Sprinkle with fleur de del.

Garnish with basil ribbons.

Puff au Chocolate Mendiant with Dried Fruit and Nuts

apricot, cranberry, pistachio, fleur de sel

Try Puff au Chocolate with your favorite fresh fruits, or dried fruits and nuts.

Comfort Food Feast

featuring 

Valentine’s Desserts

Comfort Food Feast is a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with bloggers to share recipes about everyone’s favorite comfort foods. Be sure to check out the Pinterest Board with over 100,000 followers called Let’s Pull Up A Chair! And if this Puff au Chocolat got you in the mood for all things sweet, you might enjoy taking a peek at other romantic recipes from some fabulous bloggers below…

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Quinoa Fudge Brownies
Feed Me Phoebe: Salted Caramel Budino with Whipped Cream
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Milk Chocolate Brownies
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: A Chocolate Fondue Party
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Blood Orange Bars
Dishing with Divya: Carrot Halwa
Virtually Homemade: Raspberry Grand Marnier Mascarpone Hand Pies 
Devour: 5 Bread Pudding Recipes for Valentine’s Day
Weelicious: Puff Pastry Berry Hearts
Red or Green: Hot Chocolate, New Mexican Style
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Chocolate Cake Brownies (Refined Sugar-Free)
The Sensitive Epicure: Nutella Panna Cotta
Haute Apple Pie: Valentine Cake Pops
FN Dish: DIY Chocolate Desserts for Valentine’s Day
Food for 7 Stages of Life: S’mores on a Stick