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The Bakery 100 · make it at home

Chocolate-pistachio escargots

2 days, about 1 hr hands-on · 10 escargots

The pastry snail: croissant dough rolled around pistachio cream and dark chocolate, then sliced into spirals.

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The real one

You need

• 1 batch croissant dough, through the third fold and chilled overnight (see Butter croissants)
• 100 g shelled unsalted pistachios (3/4 cup)
• 60 g sugar (1/3 cup)
• 60 g soft unsalted butter (4 tbsp)
• 1 egg
• 20 g flour (2 tbsp)
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 100 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped, or chips
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk

How to make it

1. Pistachio cream (10 min): Blitz pistachios with sugar in a food processor until fine and starting to clump. Add the butter, egg, flour and almond extract and blend smooth. Chill while you roll.
2. Roll (10 min): Roll the dough to a 30 x 45 cm (12 x 18 in) rectangle, 4 to 5 mm thick, long side toward you.
3. Fill (5 min): Spread the pistachio cream to the edges, leaving a 2 cm strip bare along the far side. Scatter the chocolate over it and press it in lightly.
4. Roll up and chill (35 min): Brush the bare strip with egg wash. Roll up tightly from the near side into a log and pinch the seam. Wrap and freeze 30 minutes so it slices cleanly.
5. Slice and proof (2 hr): Cut the log into 3 cm (1 1/4 in) slices with a sharp knife. Lay them flat on lined trays, 8 cm apart, and tuck the loose tail under so it doesn't unroll. Proof at warm room temperature until puffy, about 2 hours.
6. Bake (20 to 22 min): Heat the oven to 190C (375F). Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake 20 to 22 minutes until deep golden and the bottoms are browned. Cool 10 minutes.

Tips

• Tucking the tail under is what keeps the snail shape.
• Chop the chocolate rather than using chips if you want it to melt into streaks.

Chef Amazing's own home version of escargot, in our words; not any bakery's recipe.