Chocolate Almond Pinwheels

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Whenever I’m in the mood for a fancy bake, I gravitate towards the almond. There’s just something about pastries made with almonds that feels more deluxe and luxurious. Macarons, tarts, pithivier, croissants, danish, there are countless options when it comes to the almond, each one just as delicious as the last. They pair so beautifully with a medley of flavors, like raspberries, cherries, pears, honey, apricots, caramel, and my personal favorite, chocolate. Thus, these chocolate almond pinwheels were born.

Crisp, flaky, aromatic, flavorful, and incredibly easy, these chocolate almond pinwheels check all of the important boxes for a good, delicious fancy bake. Use a store bought puff pastry for the convenience, or make my recipe for Quick Puff Pastry for the improved texture and flavor. Bake off the day you throw them together, or assemble and keep covered in the fridge up to 2 days ahead of time. Perfect for a tea party, picnic, or bridal shower!

FAQs and Science

Why add almond extract to the frangipane? 

The little bit of almond extract massively bumps up the almond flavor in the final product. Don’t worry, it wont taste artificial! I just find frangipane without the support of the extract to be a bit bland.

Do I have to use a bar of chocolate? Can’t I use chocolate chips instead?

Chopping chocolate bars gives you more control over the size of the pieces you end up with, which is why it’s my preferred option in this case. If you’re going to go the chocolate chips route, I’d recommend using mini chips if you can.

Can I use milk chocolate rather than dark? 

I find the bitterness of dark chocolate to be a nice compliment to the sweet frangipane, but you’re in charge of your own pinwheels. If you absolutely despise dark chocolate, then use the milk!

Does it really make a difference to make your own puff pastry? Store bought is so much more convenient. 

If you have the time and motivation, I highly recommend crafting your own Quick Puff Pastry. Just like with pie crust, store bought is fine, convenient, and gets the job done, but nothing beats the flavor and satisfaction of making your own from scratch. I promise, making puff pastry is much easier than it’s been built up in your head to be! If you have any questions regarding the process, feel free to contact me about it.

Can these be made ahead of time? 

Yes! Once you’ve reached step 13 and the cylinder has been tightly wrapped with plastic, it can be kept chilling in the fridge for up to 2 days or cover the plastic with a layer of foil and freeze the cylinder for up to 3 months. The day before you’d like to bake them, place the cylinder into the refrigerator to gently thaw, then continue on with the recipe as written.

What You’ll Need

• 2 baking sheets
• Parchment paper or 2 silicone baking mats
• Stand mixer with paddle attachment OR hand mixer with large mixing bowl
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Dry measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Small bowl
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Pastry brush (optional)
• Spatula
• Cooling rack

The Process

Before you begin any other part of this recipe, make sure the puff pastry is ready to go. Just like any other recipe with a dough at its foundation, like a pie or a batch of turnovers, preparing the dough first is crucial. This gives the dough time to chill, allows the gluten to relax, and the rest of the project will go very quickly. If the puff pastry was frozen, whether it’s store bought or homemade, be sure to pull it out 40-60 minutes beforehand. That way, it has time to thaw out by the time you’re ready to use it. Be sure to store any thawed puff in the fridge until you’re almost ready to roll it out, so the butter stays cold. Preheat the oven to 375F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set them aside.

Chop the dark chocolate into small chunks, set it aside. Keep in mind that they’ll need to be small enough to easily roll up and then slice through. Large chunks of chocolate will give you a hard time, and no one needs that kind of stress while baking.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, corn starch, and salt, and set that bowl aside. I know plenty of people will encourage you to skip this step, but it’s standard for a reason. Whisking the dry goods altogether separately ensures that they’re evenly distributed throughout the frangipane, preventing clumps of salt or starch. Take the 30 seconds to whisk them together.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar on level 3 for 4-5 minutes. It should go from a butter yellow color to almost white and very fluffy in texture.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add in the egg and almond extract. The almond extract isn’t traditionally included in a frangipane, but I find it really helps boost the almond flavor. The almond deserves to shine in this recipe just as much as the chocolate, not get overshadowed by it. Mix on speed 3 until the egg is fully incorporated, around 30 seconds-1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

All at once, add the dry goods to the creamed butter mixture. On level 1, beat the dry goods in until the frangipane becomes one homogeneous mixture. Since there’s no gluten to develop in this recipe, there’s no real risk with over-mixing the frangipane. Not that I’m advising you to get in the habit of just letting a mixer go free, but if you get distracted by something, it wont be detrimental. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it aside.

Prepare an egg wash. This will be the glue that seals the pinwheels together in the end. If you don’t include it, they will absolutely unravel in the oven. Yes, eggs are a precious commodity, but it’s a necessary step. Any leftover egg wash can be saved for up to a week covered in the fridge, or just cooked and eaten! In a small bowl, beat an egg and a pinch of salt with a fork. Set this bowl aside.

If you’re using my quick puff pastry recipe, cut the slab in half horizontally. Be sure to cut straight down without dragging the knife. Otherwise, the layers may stick together, which negatively impacts the flakiness of the final product.

Re-wrap one half of the dough in plastic to be placed back in the fridge temporarily, so it doesn’t get warm while you’re working with the other half of dough. Place the dough you’re working with first on a clean, lightly floured counter. Dust the top of the dough along with the rolling pin with flour, and gently start to roll out the puff pastry. In the end, it should be approximately 10 x 12 in, and 1/16-1/8 inch in thickness, with the long edges in front of you. Get the thickness as even across the square as you can, so it will bake evenly later on.

If you’re using store bought puff pastry, unfold one sheet and roll it out slightly to even out the thickness. Keep the other sheet in the fridge while you work with the first.

Using a pastry brush, paint a 1/2 inch line of egg wash along the long edge further from you, then set the egg wash aside. It needs to be enough egg wash so the pinwheels will stay sealed shut, but not so much that it takes away from the filling. 

Scoop half of the prepared frangipane into the center of the puff pastry and, using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread it out thinly. The frangipane should come all the way to the 3 bare edges, and right up to the line of egg wash.

Take half of the chopped chocolate, and sprinkle it evenly over the entirety of the frangipane.

Starting at the edge closest to you, tightly roll the puff pastry into a cylinder. The egg wash edge will seal the cylinder shut in your final roll.

Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on a clean counter. Take the cylinder you just rolled and place it seam side down on the plastic. Wrap the cylinder tightly, so no air can get to it, and place it in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 2 days. Cold unbaked pastries are much easier to work with than warm, so when in doubt always chill it for longer. Repeat steps 8-12 with either the second half of scratch made puff pastry or remaining store bought puff pastry.

When the cylinders have thoroughly chilled, remove one from the fridge. Unwrap it, and place it on a cutting board. Using a chef’s knife, slice 1/4 inch discs. If at any point the cylinder warms up and gets too difficult to cut, just put it back in the fridge to firm back up and continue on.

Place them on one of the lined baking sheets, spaced 1-2 inches apart. They’ll expand some, but not an insane amount. Place the pan in the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Allow the baked pinwheels to rest on the baking sheet for a minimum of 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. If you leave them on the baking sheet to cool, you run the risk of steaming the bottom of the pinwheels. Steam means soggy bottoms, something no one wants to eat.

Once fully cooled, lightly dust each pinwheel with powdered sugar. If you dust them too soon, the heat will melt the sugar, rendering it pointless. Yes, they’ll still have that tiny bit more sweetness, but the aesthetic is shot. Important to everyone? No, of course not. Important to me and my fellow type-A bakers everywhere? Desperately. Give the pinwheels the time they need to cool. Store them in an airtight container, or gallon zip top bag for up to 3 days, and enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Pinwheels

Bake Time: 375F for 18-20 minutes
Servings: 60 pinwheels
Total Time: 2 hours
Prep Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

Frangipane (Almond Cream):

• 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon almond flour
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Other

• 1 batch quick puff pastry, or 2 sheets frozen puff pastry
• 7 oz dark chocolate, rough chopped
• Powdered sugar, for dusting
• 1 large egg (for egg wash)
• Flour for rolling out puff pastry

Directions

1. Make sure your puff pastry is thawed out and ready to use. If room temperature is warmer than 72F, keep it stored in the fridge until you’re almost ready to roll it out. Preheat the oven to 375F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set them aside.
2. Chop the dark chocolate into small chunks, set it aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, corn starch, and salt, and set that bowl aside.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar on level 3 for 4-5 minutes. It should go from a butter yellow color to almost white and very fluffy in texture.
5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add in the egg and almond extract. Mix on speed 3 until the egg is fully incorporated, around 30 seconds-1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. All at once, add the dry goods to the creamed butter mixture. On level 1, beat them together until the frangipane becomes one homogeneous mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it aside.
7. Prepare an egg wash. In a small bowl, beat an egg and a pinch of salt with a fork. Set this bowl aside.
8. If you’re using my quick puff pastry recipe, cut the slab in half horizontally (see reference pictures above). Re-wrap one half of the dough to return to the fridge temporarily, and place the other on a clean, lightly floured counter. Dust the top of the dough along with the rolling pin with flour, and gently start to roll out the puff pastry. It should be approximately 10 x 12in, and 1/16-1/8 inch in thickness, with the long edges parallel to you. Get the thickness as even across the surface as you can, so it will bake evenly later on.
9. Using a pastry brush or your fingertip, paint a 1/2 inch line of egg wash along the long edge further from you. Scoop half of the prepared frangipane into the center of the puff pastry and, using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread it out thinly. The frangipane should cover all of the dough right up to the line of egg wash. See reference photos above.
10. If you’re using store bought puff pastry, unfold one sheet and roll it out slightly to even out the thickness. Paint a 1/2 inch line of egg wash along the long edge further from you, then scoop 1/2 of the frangipane into the center. Spread it thinly with an offset spatula or butter knife all the way to the 3 bare edges, and right up to the line of egg wash. See reference photos above.
11. Take 1/2 of the chopped chocolate, and sprinkle it evenly over the entirety of the frangipane.
12. Starting at the edge closest to you, tightly roll the puff pastry into a cylinder. The egg wash edge will seal the cylinder shut in your final roll. Wrap the cylinder in plastic so it’s airtight and place it in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes, or up to 2 days.
13. Repeat steps 8-12 with either the second half of scratch made puff pastry or remaining store bought puff pastry.
14. When the cylinders have thoroughly chilled, remove one from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on a cutting board. Using a chef’s knife, slice 1/4 inch discs and place them on one of the lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Place the pan in the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until lightly browned.
15. Allow the baked pinwheels to rest on the baking sheet for a minimum of 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Once fully cooled, lightly dust each pinwheel with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container, or gallon zip top bag for up to 3 days, and enjoy!

Tips

• This recipe can be prepared through step 13 up to two days in advance. Be sure to wrap the cylinders so they’re completely airtight, or the puff pastry will dry out.