Cherry Nutella Braided Puff Pastry Strudel with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Puff pastry becomes a showpiece in this braided strudel. Dark cherries, toasted hazelnuts and warm Nutella sit inside a loaf that bakes up golden and flaky. You only need a board, a knife and a tray to shape it, and the result looks like a bakery dessert the moment it comes out of the oven.

This cherry Nutella strudel is built from a single sheet of puff pastry, so there is no dough to knead and no rolling to fuss over.

You cut the pastry into strips, spread a line of hazelnut filling down the center, and braid the strips over it. The filling includes dark cherries, chopped toasted hazelnuts, a spread of Nutella and fine curls of grated chocolate.

It bakes until the pastry is puffed and deep golden, then gets a light dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of melted chocolate. Serve it warm, in slices that show the cherries and hazelnuts peeking through the braid, for a dessert that works at a family table or a casual gathering.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Puff pastry does the heavy lifting in this recipe. Its many thin layers of butter and dough separate as they bake, so the braid rises, turns crisp and stays flaky without any extra technique. Because the strips are folded over the filling rather than rolled around it, the cherries and Nutella stay enclosed while the surface browns evenly.

The egg wash is what gives the strudel its glossy, golden finish. A thin coat of beaten egg sets on the surface in the oven and deepens the color of the pastry. The grated chocolate melts slightly against the warm filling, so each slice has a rich layer of chocolate without needing a separate sauce.

Notes and substitutions

Choose a good all-butter puff pastry sheet, thawed in the refrigerator overnight so it stays cold and easy to cut. Cold pastry holds its layers, and warm pastry tears when you braid it.

Dark cherries are the classic pairing, but drained jarred sour cherries work well if fresh are out of season. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant, then chop them, so their flavor comes through the chocolate and spread.

You need a wooden cutting board, a long sharp knife, a box grater, a metal baking tray lined with parchment and a silicone pastry brush. A sharp knife keeps the cut edges clean and prevents the layers from squashing.

If you do not have a box grater, you can shave the chocolate with a vegetable peeler. Any chocolate hazelnut spread works in place of Nutella, provided you check the label for milk and nut content.

• Nutella-style hazelnut spread: any smooth chocolate hazelnut spread, checked for milk and nut content
• dark cherries: drained jarred sour cherries, patted dry
• hazelnuts: toasted almonds or pecans, chopped

Equipment

• wooden cutting board
• long sharp knife
• box grater
• metal baking tray
• parchment paper
• silicone pastry brush