Chocolate Hazelnut Phyllo Turnovers
I remember when I came up with the idea for this dessert and surprised myself by how good it was! Of course, it’s nice to have a pastry chef on hand who can translate my daydreams into reality. But this one is easy enough for anyone. Try using frozen puff pastry sheets if you don’t want to mess with the phyllo dough.
When chocolate is melted in heavy cream, the mixture is called a ganache. The result is a rich, satiny glaze that’s most often poured over cakes, pastries, and flourless tortes. Butter and/or egg yolks can also be added, along with other flavorings such as extracts and liqueurs. If ganache is not used as a glaze while it’s warm, it can be cooled to room temperature and then whipped to twice its volume, to form a mousselike filling for pastries.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 9 turnovers
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, until lightly golden. Watch them carefully so they do not burn! If they are not already skinned, rub the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel to remove as much of the skin as possible. Place 1/2 cup of the nuts in a food processor and pulse, drizzling in the oil, until you have a paste. Remove the paste from the processor and set aside. When the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts are cool, pulse them in the processor with the sugar and bread crumbs, until the mixture has the texture of coarse cornmeal. Set aside.
Step 3
Place the two chocolates in a heat-proof bowl.
Step 4
Bring the heavy cream to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in the liqueur and immediately pour over the chocolate. Tap the bowl to settle the chocolate and let it sit for about 2 minutes, then stir with a plastic spatula, using a circular motion. Stir in the hazelnut paste, mixing thoroughly, and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 5
When the chocolate mixture is cool, unwrap the phyllo dough and lay 1 sheet on the counter with the long edge facing you. Brush the dough lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of the bread crumb mixture. Layer on 2 more sheets of phyllo, brushing and sprinkling in the same way. Cut the stack into thirds crosswise. Place 3 heaping tablespoons of filling near the bottom right corner of each third. Bring the corner up and over the filling to the opposite edge to form a triangle. Continue in this manner, folding like a flag, until you get to the top end of the dough. If you have any left over, just trim it even with the edge. Brush the tops lightly with butter and sprinkle with a little of the bread crumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Chill the turnovers for at least 30 minutes.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 7
Place the turnovers on a greased baking sheet with a little space between them.
Step 8
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown on top and underneath. (Lift with a spatula and check to make sure that the dough is cooked through.)
Step 9
Serve the turnovers with whipped cream or ice cream on the side, if desired.
