Nutella Puff Pastry Braid

Yield: 2 braids

Time: 10 min prep, 15 min bake

Ingredients:

• 1 box frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 2/3 c. Nutella
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp. chopped becans
• Sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400℉ and line one baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Take your puff pastry out of the package and let it defrost completely. Place both sheets of pastry on your prepared baking sheet so you don't have to transfer it once you've finished braiding. Arrange the puff pastry so that the longest edge forms the width of the rectangle. Using a pizza cutter or knife make 16 horizontal cuts across the left third of pastry. Make an addition 16 horizontal cuts across right third. Repeat this on the second puff pastry sheet. (Refer to diagram 1.)
3. Spread 1/3 c. of Nutella in the center third of the first puff pastry (the uncut third.) Make the braid by folding the top left strip diagonally across the center third then fold the top right strip diagonally so that it overlaps the top left strip. Continue folding alternating left and right strips until all the strips have been folded. The last one or two strips can be folded underneath the braid. Repeat this step for the second sheet of puff pastry (refer to diagram 2.)
4. Brush both braids with the beaten egg and top each pastry with 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans. Sprinkle with sugar and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the top of the braid is golden brown.

Diagram 1: the long vertical lines separating the thirds are not cuts.

Diagram 2: Arrows represent the folds