Chocolate Walnut Braid

A reason I don't make puff pastry too often is because I want to eat it all in one sitting and then I have dreams about it, and go all batty over it and then it turns into a vicious circle of baking and eating and baking and eating and it just isn't pretty.  SO after using half of a package of puff pastry for my delicious Savoury Breakfast Tarts, I thought it would just be the best for all involved to use up the other half package and then get rid my house of it for good.  In a tasty and sweet way!

I wanted to create something similar  a pan au chocolat, then I remembered I'm kind of a pastry braid wizard, so here's what I whipped up:

Chocolate Walnut Braid
Ingredients:
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter
1/2 package puff pastry
1/2 cup walnuts, pulsed thru a mini food chopper

Egg-wash:
1 egg + 1 tbsp water

Method:
Preheat oven to 375degrees & line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Make your egg wash and set aside.

In a microwaveable bowl, slowly melt the chocolate, milk & butter.  I did it in 20 second intervals, stirring each time - careful not to burn! 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 12"x16" rectangle.  The next steps are really hard for me to describe in words, so just check out the picture:

Pastry monster!!  Each little tentacle is about 1/2 inch wide

Transfer the pastry monster to the baking sheet, making sure to centre the middle of the pastry (un-cut part) down the middle of the baking sheet and lay out the pastry arms.

Spread about half of the chocolate down the middle and sprinkle with half of the walnuts. 

Repeat steps and then start the braiding, working right side, then left side.  If you don't know how to braid and my picture doesn't make sense, just google it.

Almost done: brush with the egg wash and then guess what? You're ready to bake!!  I baked for about 35 minutes, then let it cool completely on a baking rack. 

I like to bust this technique out with pears, ricotta cheese, honey and nuts - super nom.  It's funny whenever I make a braid, no one believes that I did it myself, like there is a secret food weaver that no one knows about....