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Chocolate torsades are flaky pastries filled with creamy vanilla custard and chocolate chips. These chocolate custard puff pastry treats are perfect for your next breakfast or mid-afternoon treat.
Chocolate Torsade
The French word torsade means ‘twist.’ These twists are a buttery and flaky pastry with a vanilla custard and chocolate chips. The first time I saw chocolate torsades at the store, I knew I had to try one and then of course make them. These chocolate torsades are simple to make but will surely impress your guests. Serve them with a hot cup of coffee or tea and you’ll have a wonderful breakfast treat.
Puff Pastry
The key to a good chocolate torsade is the flaky buttery puff pastry. If you want to give puff pastry a try, check out my step-by-step guide to making classic puff pastry. Learning to make puff pastry is definitely something I think everyone should try at least once. However, making puff pastry by hand can be a bit time consuming. For this recipe, store bought puff pastry is just as good. No one will know the difference and the store-bought puff pastry will save you some time.
Chocolate Torsade Custard
Traditionally chocolate torsades have a vanilla custard or pastry cream sprinkled with dark chocolate chips. This custard is similar to a vanilla custard I made for chocolate eclairs. It reminds me of this amazing donut shop growing up that had huge chocolate eclairs filled with vanilla custard. Follow the steps in the recipe to make the custard.
Making the Chocolate Torsades
Step 1: Make the custard (see all instructions in the recipe below).
Step 2: Roll out the puff pastry and spread the custard on top. Then sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Step 2: Fold the puff pastry in half and then cut into strips about 2 inches in width.
Step 3: Gently twist the strips a few times to create the chocolate torsades. Brush each torsade with egg wash to give it a golden brown color. Place on a parchment lined pan and bake at 400 degrees (200Celsius) for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Equipment Needed
You don’t need to many tools to bake these torsades. Here are a few things I used to make these:
- Marble pastry board – This keeps the pastry cooler and makes it easier to work with.
- Pizza Wheel – Using a pizza cutter helps keep the lines straighter when you are cutting the pastry.
- Rubber spatula – After you whisk the custard, I like switching to a rubber spatula because it helps the custard from getting to hot on the sides of the pan.
If you like this recipe, check these out:
French Chocolate Torsades (Puff Pastry Twists)
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 1/2 cups of milk
- 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 sheet Puff pastry (270 g)
- Chocolate chips dark or milk
- 1 egg for egg wash
Instructions
For the custard
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and flour together. Set aside.
- In a sauce pan, bring the milk to a low boil. Remove from heat once it comes to a boil.
- Slowly pour milk into the egg mixture, continuously whisking.
- Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan and bring up to a boil, continuously whisking.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. The custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a spatula.
- Add the vanilla, butter and salt.
- Cover the custard with plastic wrap so it touches the custard (this prevents a skin from forming).
- Let it completely cool in the fridge util ready for use.
For the Chocolate Torsades
- Preheat oven to 400˚ F (200˚ C).
- Roll out puff pastry about 14 inches long or just use the store bought roll.
- Spread a thin layer of the vanilla custard on top of the puff pastry. You may not use all the custard. You just want a thin layer of custard to coat the pastry.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the custard.
- Fold the pastry in half (widthwise) and cut into strips about 2 inches in width.
- Taking each end of the pasty, gently twist each strip a few times to create the twisted pastry.
- Whisk one egg in a small bowl and brush the tops of the twists with the egg wash.
- Place chocolate torsades on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 400˚ F (200˚ C) for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
SUPPLIES
Here are a few supplies I used to complete this recipe:
Note: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means the seller will know that I referred you to their product, and I’ll get a small percentage of the sale. However, I don’t take your trust for granted, so I only recommend products I’ve used personally and stand behind 100%.
Bec Koshak
Thank you! Walmart has these things, and they are divine. Can’t wait to try to make my own so I can eat them all!
Krystal
I hope you enjoy them! Let me know how they turn out.
jim
the custard on its own is a winner, we are eagerly waiting for the oven to beep
Krystal
A win for the custard! Let me know how the torsades come out.
Lynda Higgs
Hi, could you confirm the amount of puff pastry needed for this recipe (in grams if possible)? I’ve got a box of two sheets of puff pasty (500g) – is this enough for the recipe?
Krystal
Yes, one sheet of puff pastry (270 g) should be enough for the recipe. If you have left over custard, you could always just use the second sheet.
Kathie Anderson
There is an error in the oven temp. In one place it lists 400 and in another it says 415. I’m sure you got some numerals mixed up as you also give Celsius. Please let me know what to use! Think I’m going with 415 since everything is already cooked.
Also I folded it towards the short side not the long side. I can’t tell by the photo but I am guessing that they torsades would be too full other wise.
I concur with the opinion that the custard is great, I added a bit of almond extract as well. It is an interesting method, new to me, but worked very well. May use it on future cream pies. Seems a little easier, actually.
Krystal
Sorry about that! It should be 400˚ F (200˚ C). I’m glad you liked the custard and almond extract would be delicious. I’ll have to try that.
Yasmine
I haven’t tried this recipe, but I definitely will try because me and my mum absolutely love baking treats, so this is going to be a really tasty experience!
Krystal
I love that you and your mom love baking together. So happy to hear you making special memories.
Lindsey
How do you store these? Do they have to be in the fridge? Delicious! My husband has been trying to find these pastries for 20 years since he had them in France and couldn’t get the name.