~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Chocolate-Pistachio Phyllo Rolls...or Chocolate "Baklava" Rolls




Chocolate-Pistachio Phyllo Rolls...or Chocolate "Baklava" Rolls The other day my husband asked me to make him some apple turnovers...apple turnovers are one of his favorites. I really don't mind doing them as I feel they aren't that heavy of a dessert...and well, apples are good for you:). Anyway, I ended up having some leftover phyllo sheets and I knew I wanted to make the chocolate-pistachio rolls I had seen on MasterChef Australia some time ago. I remember thinking the rolls had to be really good. The basic ingredients were very simple...chocolate, nuts and honey. Ingredients I really like and most often have around the house. The recipe isn't the type of recipe that has to be followed exactly... amounts don't have to be really precise. You can keep a 1:1 ratio of chocolate and nuts, and then add a bit of honey. Or you can use more nuts and less chocolate...it's up to you. You can also vary the type of nuts you use... flavorings can also be added. But the overall dessert is quite elegant and lovely...crispy, chocolaty and nutty.
I chose to make individual rolls, but you can also make a larger roll that you can cut in smaller bites. Either way, they are quite simple to prepare. I love to keep the pistachios whole ...but you can coarsely chop them if you like. Also, feel free to vary the nuts...though I have to admit I loved the pistachio version. The original recipe uses pistachio nuts as well as peanuts, so feel free to add some peanuts.
Various flavorings can be added to the chocolate-nut mixture. I added some rose water, but really didn't taste it in the final product. Cinnamon is a popular addition as well as orange. If you don't care for the flavorings, you can skip it altogether and still have the rolls taste great.
You can serve the phyllo rolls warm...with a soft melted center. Or, you can serve it at room temp.... where the inside filling firms up a bit and has a truffle-like center. The phyllo rolls remind me of the popular baklava....except a chocolate version of it.
While the original recipe has you dip the phyllo rolls in a sabayon mixture... I chose to keep it rather simple. But if you really want to make a fancy dessert, you can opt to make the sabayon as well. It was just great with a cup of coffee. Hope you enjoy...

Tip: If you want to skip the honey, you a can add a bit of cream instead. Also, it is important you butter the phyllo sheets well so you get crispy rolls.
My phyllo sheets comes in a double pack measuring 13x9 inches. If yours are larger, you may need to cut the sheets.

You will need: inspired by MasterChef Australia
  • makes about 8 (3 inch) phyllo rolls...or so.
100 grams chocolate, melted
100 grams pistachios, lightly roasted
1 TBS honey
8(13x9) phyllo dough sheets
Flavoring of choice, optional*
melted butter
powdered sugar, for sprinkling on top
*I used 1 TBS rosewater...though I couldn't taste it at all. But you can add a bit of cinnamon, orange zest, or even rum.

Directions:
1. Mix the melted chocolate with pistachios( you may chop them if you like)...add honey and any flavoring you like. Mix to combine thoroughly.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degs. F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Place phyllo sheets on countertop. Keep covered.(this will prevent it from drying out).

4. Brush 1 filo sheet(13x9) with melted butter, fold in half...making sure the slightly longer edge is facing you.

5. Spoon about 2 TBS of chocolate filling along edge, leaving some space at both ends. Roll the phyllo over the filling, then fold the edges in. Brush any exposed phyllo with extra butter.

6. Roll up to secure the filling. Brush the roll again with extra butter. Place onto baking tray. Repeat with the rest.

7. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden. Dust with icing sugar.

10 comments:

Alina---Explora Cuisine said...

Ellie, these are gorgeous, and they seem to be very simple to make as well :) I love pistachio, and if it weren't for the calories, I could eat it all day long :))) Have a beautiful week!

Mihaela said...

Love these rolls Ellie, I can even imagine how it is to bite into one :) Thanks for sharing!

Lorrie said...

These look delicious. And easy. I love crisp phyllo and chocolate!

M Family said...

Oh my Goodness Ellie, YUMMMMMMMMMM. Now if only I can keep the kids from interrupting me long enough to make these......:/

megi said...

Hi Ellie, yet another delicious recipe, the phyllo rolls look perfect!

Unknown said...

These are fabulous, what a special treat.

Speranta said...

Ellie,ce frumos arata ,parca e din revista extraoridinar! sunt impresionata!
:)

Ellie said...

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment...so glad you all like the idea:). Really appreciate it!

Anonymous said...

Can this be stored at room temmp? if so, for how many days?

Thanks!

Ellie said...

Anon, You can store these at room temp... maybe for a few days? I didn't try leaving them out for longer than a day... only because I didn't want to eat them all:)... then I froze them for later:). Obviously the chocolate hardens if you freeze them, you can bring them back to room temp. and maybe place them in a microwave for just a few seconds to soften the chocolate.

Hope that helps...