Cherry Nutella Braided Puff Pastry Tart with Chocolate Shavings

Picture a golden braid of flaky puff pastry, split open to reveal a warm chocolate-hazelnut filling studded with glossy cherries.

This tart looks like a bakery centerpiece, yet it comes together with one sheet of pastry, a sharp knife and a few simple steps. The grated chocolate shavings and the powdered sugar finish make every slice look finished and special for dessert or brunch.

This braided tart turns a single sheet of puff pastry into a dramatic dessert. You spread Nutella down the center, scatter halved cherries and chopped hazelnuts over it, then cut diagonal strips along both sides and fold them over the filling in a crisscross pattern. Grated dark chocolate scattered over the top adds texture and a rich finish.

After baking until deep golden brown, the tart is dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with melted chocolate and sliced to reveal the filling.

The method is forgiving: the pastry does most of the work, and the braid hides any small imperfection in the strips. Read through the steps once before you start so the shaping flows smoothly from board to baking sheet.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Puff pastry bakes into hundreds of thin, crisp layers because the butter in the dough releases steam in the oven. That steam lifts the strips and makes the braid puff and turn deep golden, which gives the tart its bakery-style look and crunch without any extra work.

Spreading the Nutella only down the center keeps the filling contained, so it stays inside the braid instead of leaking onto the sheet. Leaving the middle section intact gives the braid a sturdy base, and the alternating folds lock the strips in place while the pastry bakes.

Notes and substitutions

Choose a good-quality all-butter puff pastry if you can find it, since it browns more richly and tastes more buttery than versions made with other fats. Thaw frozen sheets in the refrigerator overnight so they unroll without cracking. Keep the sheet cold until you are ready to shape it.

A wooden cutting board gives you a stable, slightly grippy surface for spreading and folding. A sharp knife makes clean diagonal cuts that do not drag the dough.

A fine box grater turns cold dark chocolate into delicate shavings. Substitute milk chocolate for a sweeter finish, or use drained, patted-dry sour cherries if fresh cherries are out of season.

• dark chocolate: milk chocolate for a sweeter finish
• fresh cherries: drained jarred sour cherries, patted very dry
• chopped hazelnuts: chopped almonds or toasted pecans

Equipment

• wooden cutting board
• sharp knife
• fine box grater
• parchment-lined baking sheet
• pastry brush
• small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
• serrated knife