Recipe: try these delicious pistachio-chocolate swirls 

Sweet treats are a hallowed part of French culture, born of passed-on techniques and expertise from generation to generation. 

Pastries in particular are a stalwart of French cuisine. The following recipe, courtesy of the Ferrandi Paris school, is a great way to bring a taste of that culture and cuisine to your kitchen. 

The recipe makes eight pistachio-chocolate swirls, requiring an active time of two hours, a bulk fermentation time of 30 minutes, 45 minutes to an hour of resting time, two hours of proofing and 22-25 minutes of cooking time. They can be stored for up to 24 hours. 

Ingredients

Pistachio cream

100ml whole milk

25g pistachio paste

1 egg yolk

15g sugar

10g cornstarch

10g butter, at room temperature

Yeasted puff pastry

Base dough (détrempe)

250g cake flour (T45)

125ml whole milk

1 tsp (5g) salt

10g fresh yeast

10g honey

25g sugar

25g butter, diced, at room temperature

Laminating butter

150g butter, preferably 84% fat

To assemble

160g chocolate chips

Egg wash

1 egg

1 egg yolk

10g whole milk

Decoration

100g pistachios, chopped

Equipment

Stand mixer + dough hook

Instant-read thermometer

Method

1. Preparing the pistachio cream

Heat the milk and pistachio paste in a saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolk and sugar in a bowl until pale and thick, then whisk in the cornstarch. 

Whisking constantly, slowly pour one-third of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. 

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly with a spatula. 

As soon as the first bubbles appear, remove from the heat. 

Add the butter and stir until completely smooth. Press plastic wrap over the surface and chill until using.

2. Preparing the yeasted puff pastry

Knead all the base dough ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer on low speed for 5 minutes until well combined. 

Increase the speed to high and knead for 8 minutes until the dough is supple and elastic.

 The dough temperature should be between 21°C and 23°C. 

Roll the dough into a 15×30cm rectangle, cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. 

Roll the laminating (84%) butter into a 15cm square. 

Place the butter in the centre of the dough and fold the ends of the dough over it to meet in the centre, enclosing the butter completely. 

Roll the dough into an approximate 20×50cm rectangle.

Fold the shorter ends of the dough over so that they meet in the centre, then fold the dough in half, like a book, to make a double turn. 

Let rest for 15-30 minutes in the refrigerator. 

Give the dough a quarter turn clock- wise. Roll the dough into an approximate 20×50cm rectangle, then fold it in 3, like a letter, to make a single turn. 

Let rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

3. Shaping and proofing the swirls 

Roll the dough into a 20×35cm rectangle and trim the edges all around.

Loosen the pistachio cream with a flexible spatula, then spread it into an even layer across the dough. 

Scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Roll the dough up from one long side into a tight log, then cut the log into 8 slices, 2.5cm thick. 

Set the slices flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Let proof for about 2 hours in a steam oven set to 28°C, or on a rack in a turned-off oven above a bowl of boiling water.

4. Baking the swirls 

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Whisk the egg wash ingredients together and brush over the swirls. 

Sprinkle the chopped pistachios round the edges and bake for 22–25 minutes.

This recipe was featured in French Boulangerie Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts, by FERRANDI Paris and published by Flammarion 2024.