Ooooee! I’m SO excited to share this recipe with you. There is no one you’ll make this for, that will not love it. And if they don’t… you can’t be friends with them anymore 😉 JK
These mini chocolate cigars are made by wrapping a set mixture of chocolate ganache and roasted hazelnuts with a layer of thin phyllo pastry.
Yes, its as easy as that!!
Working with phyllo pastry can seem a bit intimidating, but it really shouldn't be. I've included in the method, steps to help you along the way. Once you've completed this recipe you will have mastered it. You can then, with confidence, experiment with phyllo pastry to your heart's desire.
You’ll need:
· Large glass mixing bowl
· Medium glass mixing bowl
· Non-stick frying pan
· Small ramekin x 2
· Pastry/Basting brush
· Clingwrap
Yields: ± 18 mini cigars
Ingredients:
12 Sheets of Phyllo pastry
160g Dark Chocolate
40g Hazelnuts
80g Cream (82ml)
3 Tbsp Butter, Melted
Water
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
Method:
Start by preparing the filling. Chop your chocolate into small chunks, the size of chocolate chips.
Add boiling water to the medium-sized glass mixing bowl, only fill it up about one-third of the way. Make sure your large glass bowl can sit on the medium one without touching the water. You will use the steam generated from the boiling water.
Place the cream in your large glass mixing bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave, make sure the cream does not boil, you only want it warmed up. This will speed up the process of melting the chocolate.
Add the chopped chocolate to the cream and place the bowl on top of the smaller bowl containing the boiling water. It is very important to ensure that you don’t get any water into the mixture. Chocolate and water don’t get along very well.
Leave the chocolate to melt. In the meantime, chop up the hazelnuts. Add them to a dry non-stick pan over medium heat and roast until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them, it won’t take much time, and you definitely don’t want them to burn.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the nuts to a plate. Set aside to cool.
Your chocolate should be melted by now. Stir the chocolate and cream mixture to ensure all the chunks of chocolate of melted and you have a glossy melted ganache.
Once the nuts have cooled, fold them into the ganache. Wrap your bowl with clingwrap and place it in the fridge to set.
Prepare your phyllo pastry sheets. The only tricky thing when working with phyllo pastry is that it dries out quite fast, so you have to work quickly. And by following these few steps, you can also work smart.
Check on your ganache mixture, it needs to be stiff enough to handle. Test it by scooping a spoonful out and try to shape it with your fingers. If you can do this with ease it's ready to use.
Use a ½ Tbsp (7.5ml) measuring spoon and scoop out the portions for each cigar you’ll be making. Use your fingers to shape the ganache into cylindrical shapes of about 4cm in length. Set them aside.
Set up your workstation before unwrapping your pasty. Have a chopping board, knife, pastry brush, and your two small ramekins ready. Add water to the one ramekin and melted butter to the second one.
Work as gently as possible, this will save you a lot of frustration. Unwrap the pastry and gently remove two single sheets. Rewrap the remaining pastry completely and set it aside.
Using a pastry brush, brush a very thin layer of melted butter on one sheet. Place the second sheet on top of the buttered side, sticking them together.
Cut your sheet of pastry into three equal sections, lengthwise. Place the ganache filling 1cm from the edge (width). Using your finger, very lightly wet the sides of the pastry with water. This will help to seal the sides together once rolled up.
Fold the pastry over, enclosing the filling. Rollover twice, now fold the sides (lengthwise) inwards, 1.5cm on each side, they should stick easily because of the water you’ve brushed on with your finger.
Now roll up the pastry, forming a mini cigar. To seal the bottom edge of the pastry to the cigar, lightly brush along the width of the edge with a little bit of water, using your finger.
Set aside, with the cigar resting on the sealed section. You can cover the cigars with a damp tea cloth to prevent them from drying out while you prepare the rest.
Repeat these steps until you have used up all the ganache filling.
You can either pan fry or oven-bake your cigars to cook the pastry.
To pan-fry, heat a knife tip of butter in a non-stick frying pan, and fry all sides until golden brown. Add more butter as needed. I’d recommend pan frying; this reduces the risk of the pastry bursting open.
To oven bake, very lightly brush each mini cigar with melted butter and bake at 180°C until golden brown. You can turn them then over halfway through.
Dust with icing sugar (optional) and serve warm.
To store, keep in an airtight container in the fridge or a cool space and consume within 2-3 days.
Enjoy xx
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