November Secret Recipe Club- Chocolate Almond Pastries

Hi folks! This is my first time joining The Secret Recipe Club on their adventures through the blogosphere. I had always wanted to join but being a new blog I was not quite ready. So last month I spent an entire day building my recipe index. My goodness folks if I can give new bloggers one little piece of advice it's do this right from the get go. I had to go back through 6 months of recipes and posts. Which doesn't seem that bad unless you know me and know that I am a serial poster. I mean queen of the posts. I mean post overload here. So there were tons to go through. And being a non- techie sort of gal it was a bit daunting. Yet after one full day, a huge back ache and about a ton of pepsi I finally finished. So I sent in my little old "please accept me, please love me, please don't turn me down" application and voila, here I am. Ready, willing, and able to annoy yet more people. Ah, the possibilities are endless.

I was so stoked (yes I just used the word stoked!) to pull the lovely blogger I did. When I got my email saying I had none other than the lovely, wonderful and talented "Nutmeg Nanny", well there may have been some hooting and hollering. I may have run out on the porch and screamed at the top of my lungs. I can't be sure though, it was all a haze. I mean this chiquita can cook, and bake and is charming to boot. I mean we're bff's really. She has no idea who I am but I worship her from afar which in my world means we're bff's.

So I searched my bff's blog over and over, trying to narrow down all the yummy treats. I mean OMG she has so many to choose from. Was I going to do a dessert or one of her incredible meals. I had decided on the Shep's Pie but we don't eat lamb, so if I made it I thought it would be too much like mine and that defeats the purpose of the challenge. I wanted to pick something I have never made. I wanted to pick something I had never worked with. So the recipe that kept popping up was the Chocolate Almond Pastry. I still kept hesitating as she guest posted on another blog for that one. Yet I just could not get this dessert out of my head. So I went with my gut and my gut was screaming for pastry. I had never worked with puff pastry before so this was well out of my comfort zone. Which is exactly what I wanted. So this is it in all it's glory. Thank you Nutmeg Nanny, I am now full and in need of a nap but so happy I tried this one. I could not stop eating it as I took pics. I blame you for the 5 pounds I gained today. Just sayin'!

Chocolate Almond Pastry:

Source: The Nutmeg Nanny aka my BFF

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (do not freak out and think it's like phyllo and something is wrong)
1 egg for egg wash
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling (I used demerara which I think is the same thing but not sure)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ( I got carried away!)
Good quality honey for drizzling (I got carried away!)
1/4 cup almond slivers (I got carried away!)

My BFF recommends sea salt optionally and ice cream optionally, I did neither only because I am a spaz and wanted to hurry up and eat this!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

Roll out your pastry and lay it on the cookie sheet.

Take the edges and fold them so there is a thick crust.

Now beat your egg, (with a whisk, not like in a ring with gloves or anything!) and brush it on the crust part. Now sprinkle with the sugar. Now prick the inside part with a fork. (not to be mean, it just keeps it from puffing so much it explodes or something!)

Stick this in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Take it out and stick it in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove, cover with chocolate.

Cover with almonds.

Drizzle honey over top.

I sprinkled more sugar over top. Cuz you know it wasn't sweet enough with the sugar, honey and chocolate that was already there.

Stick back in oven for about 2 to 4 minutes. Should be browning when done.

Remove and cut into squares.

Drizzle more honey.

You could add more sugar.

Try not to eat the whole thing yourself while taking pics!

BAD PICTURE BUT YOU GET THE IDEA!

OH DID I NOT MENTION I PUT BANANAS ON HALF?

HEY, GUESS WHAT? I PUT BANANAS ON HALF!

CUZ THAT'S HOW I ROLL!

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL, I LOVE THAT NUTMEG NANNY. LOOK AT THIS THING, WHO WOULDN'T?!

Now go visit the Nutmeg Nanny folks. Tell her that her BFF said hi. I'm sure she'll know exactly who you're talking about. I must say I could not have been more over the moon to be assigned this lady. Total honor!

Toodles and smoochies. xx