Puff Pastry Chocolate Twists; Copycat Costa Recipe
With this recipe, you can make your very own Costa chocolate twists and get super fancy by making homemade Creme Patissiere too! If you love the idea of chocolate and sweet creamy custard wrapped and twisted in golden puff pastry, you need to give this Chocolate twist recipe a try today! Grab yourself a homemade coffee in the morning and put one of these delcious treats in the oven.
Recipe Overview
Prep Time:
25 MINUTES
Cook Time:
20 MINUTES
Why You’ll Love Chocolate Twists
Make Them Ahead of Time: They are freezer-friendly and can be baked from frozen, so make a bigger batch and save some for later.
Surprisingly Easy To Make: Chocolate Twists are simple to make, so this recipe is great for beginners and seasoned bakers alike.
Copycat Version: Save yourself some money making your own homemade chocolate twists and enjoy a copycat recipe for a fraction of the price. I actually think they’re even better than the real thing!
Chocolate Twists are made from puff pastry which you can make from scratch or buy readymade. The flaky, buttery pastry is layered and spread with pastry cream (creme patissiere) and sprinkled with dark chocolate chips. They are then cut into strips and twisted to form its shape. The chocolate twists are then brushed with egg (to give them a nice golden finish) and baked in the oven until they are puffed up and golden brown.
You may see Chocolate Twists being called Chocolate Torsades in the more fancy of bakeries.
Torsades Au Chocolat is the French name given to these sweet chocolate pastries, since they originate in France, much like many other delicious sweet pastries. However, you will mostly find them named Chocolate Twists or Chocolate Straws.
You can eat them straight from the oven when the chocolate is still a little melty, which makes them taste even better.
More Recipes To Try
- Another classic copycat pastry recipe are these Puff Pastry Sausage Bean and Cheese Melts, like Greggs.
- If you like puff pastry twists, check out these Marmite and Cheese Twists next.
- A super quick and easy snack made from Puff Pastry are these Mini Puff Pastry Pizzas which kids really love!
Equipment Needed:
- Saucepan – You’ll need a medium sized saucepan if you intend to make your own pastry cream.
- Sieve – Used to strain the pastry cream and make it smooth once cooked. You can also use it to dust the baked Chocolate Twists with icing sugar for decoration.
- Flat Baking Tray – You’ll need a large baking tray or baking sheet. You need to allow the twists some room as they bake, so either bake them in batches or use more than one tray, if you cannot comfortable fit them onto one. Line the sheet with some baking paper (parchment paper) so they don’t stick.
- Rolling Pin – To roll out the puff pastry, unless you use a pre-rolled puff pastry sheet.
- Sharp Knife or Pizza Cutter: Used to slice the pastry up in portions.
- Pastry Brush – To brush the twists with egg before baking. Helping to make them a nice golden brown colour as they bake in the oven.
- Wire Rack: It’s a good idea to place the freshly baked chocolate twists on a cooling rack to prevent the bottom from turning soggy.
Ingredients:
- Puff Pastry – You can use ready-rolled pastry or buy a block and roll it out yourself. Other types of pastry such as shortcrust or filo, will not work for this recipe.
- Dark Chocolate Chips – Use good quality plain chocolate chips to match the taste of the chocolate twists you get at the coffee shop.
- Egg Yolks – We only need the yolk of the egg for our pastry cream, but you can freeze the egg whites for other recipes like Pavlova or these Amaretti Biscuits.
- Caster Sugar – Stick to white or golden caster sugar for this recipe.
- Flour – A key ingredient used to thicken the pastry cream. You may see cornflour being used to make Creme Patissiere. However, this doesn’t always freeze as well so stick with plain white all-purpose flour here.
- Milk – Use full-fat milk for the best results.
- Vanilla Extract – A subtle flavour that makes all the difference in the sweet custard pastry cream.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter in this recipe.
- Egg Brush – This gives the end result a lovely golden shine when you use a beaten egg to brush over the pastry before baking.
- Icing Sugar (optional) – Also known as confectioners sugar or powdered sugar. We use the icing sugar to decorate the chocolate twists once baked. You could also add a sprinkle of cinnamon to the sugar for a subtle warmth.
Substitutions and Additions:
Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.
- Chocolate Chips: For a little twist on this recipe, try using a chopped chocolate bar. Milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips or even a mixture will also work as a variation of this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract: You can use a vanilla bean instead.
- Egg Brush: You can also use a little milk to brush over the pastry. However, while it will help the pastry to brown, it won’t give the same sheen to the baked pastry twists.
- Chopped Nuts: Adding some chopped nuts like hazelnut in with the chocolate chips will give the twists a little extra texture and crunch.
Smart Shortcuts:
In a rush and need to take some shortcuts with this recipe? Here’s some ideas:
Readymade Custard: If you want to make these twists in a hurry, you can use fresh or instant custard powder as a replacement for the homemade pastry custard. If you do wish to try this, be cautious with freezing the twists before baking as the texture of the custard could change.
Pre-Rolled Puff Pastry: Save even more preparation time by using pre-rolled puff pastry sheets.
Step-By-Step Guide with Photos
Why Make Your own Creme Patissiere
Also known as Pastry Cream. Creme Patissiere is a sweet, thick custard that you will find as a filling in many cakes and pastries.
While you may find many a recipe for chocolate twists using instant custard or custard powder, the aim here, is to make the best tasting recipe we can. One that rivals anything you can find readymade in the shops.
Yes, I admit, it takes a little longer and requires that extra skill, but I highly recommend taking the time with this step and making your own Creme Patissiere. Once you have mastered it, you can use your new skill to create many other sweet cakes and pastries that call for it as a filling.
And believe me, these Homemade Chocolate Twists taste so much better this way.
Frequently Asked Questions
The yellow filling that is found in a chocolate twist is usually a type of custard or pastry cream known as Creme Patissiere.
You can certainly make a quick version of this recipe with instant custard or fresh custard, however, the taste won’t quite be the same as this recipe.
Mastering This Recipe – Expert Tips
- Save the Egg White – Using only egg yolk in recipes does not need to result in waste, you can freeze the egg white to use for other recipes. Like this Tropical Pavlova.
- Keep the Pastry Cold For Flaky Pastry– Once the pastry comes out of the fridge, work quickly to get it in the oven as soon as possible. Room temperature puff pastry won’t be as flaky or puffed up once baked, and may even go a little soggy as you bake it too.
- Keep the Pastry Cream Layer Thin – Don’t overdo it with the layer of pastry cream, it will spill out and make the chocolate twists too wet as they bake.
Storing Costa Chocolate Twists
- For the best results I recommend eating Chocolate Twists on the same day that they were baked.
- Storage: Baked chocolate twists should be stored in an airtight container and eaten within 2-3 days. You can freshen up leftovers a little by popping one in the oven for a couple of minutes.
- Freezing: Since they are best eaten fresh, I recommend to store unbaked chocolate twists in the freezer. After twisting, freeze them individually and laid flat on a tray until they are frozen solid. You can then wrap them and store in an airtight container or freezer bag. Unbaked chocolate twists can be kept for 2-3 months in the freezer. If you have used custard instead of pastry creme, be careful with freezing as the texture of the custard may change.
- Baking From Frozen: When you wish to bake a frozen chocolate twist, simply remove one from the freezer, brush with egg wash and adjust the baking time for a little longer in the oven until puffed up and golden.
Delicious Puff Pastry Chocolate Twists: Easy Costa Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 375 g Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
- 1 Medium Egg Yolk
- 10 g Plain All-Purpose Flour
- 25 g Caster Sugar
- 125 ml Full-Fat Milk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 10 g Unsalted Butter
- 50 g Plain Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1 Medium Egg , Beaten
- 2 tbsp Icing Sugar, Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (356°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the plain flour and caster sugar until smooth and lump-free. Set aside.
- Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Heat the milk gently over a low heat until it just comes to the boil, then remove it from the heat.
- Pour about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to loosen it.
- Pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
- Return the pan to a low heat and cook gently, stirring continuously, until the pastry cream thickens.
- Once thickened, remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the butter to the hot pastry cream and stir until fully melted.
- Push the pastry cream through a sieve into a bowl to remove any lumps, then set aside to cool slightly.
- Unroll the puff pastry (or roll it out if you are using a block) and cut it in half lengthways.
- Place one half of the pastry flat onto the lined baking tray. Spread an even layer of the pastry cream over the pastry, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the pastry cream.
- Place the second half of the pastry on top and gently press down to seal.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 6 equal strips.
- Take each strip and twist it twice, then place it back onto the baking tray. Leave space between each twist so they can puff up while baking.
- Brush each pastry twist with the beaten egg.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, until puffed up and golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Dust with icing sugar if using. Serve slightly warm or allow to cool completely before serving.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Chocolate Twists are best eaten on the day that they are made. If you would like to store them, wait until they have cooled and then place them in an airtight container. They will keep for 2 days.
- You can freeze them unbaked. They will store in the freezer for 2-3 months and can be baked from frozen.
- Save the egg white and use in a different recipe.
- You can also use milk chocolate or white chocolate chips as a variation.
