#Choctoberfest ~ Chocolate Pecan Strudel

Welcome to day 4 of #Choctoberfest - a celebration of ALL THINGS CHOCOLATE!! Grab a cup of cocoa, sit back, and join in the sugary madness. Make sure to visit the kick-off post from Monday to enter the fantastic raffle, and see all our incredible sponsors this year. There are 69 bloggers bringing you sooo much chocolate deliciousness this week. Make sure to check out all the drool-worthy goodies from today, linked at the bottom of this post.

Thanks to a sheet of puff pastry, this strudel comes together in no time at all and is a rich, and delicious chocolatey dessert to end your day with. The pastry is so flaky, and the nuts add some nice texture and contrast to the rich, thick chocolate filling. A little slice goes a long way - and these are the accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee. Perfect way to end a fall day.

Chocolate Pecan Strudel adapted from Pepperidge Farm

Ingredients
1 egg
 1 tablespoon water
 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
 2 tablespoons milk
 1 tablespoon butter
 1/2 package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
 1/2 cup chopped pecans
 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar  (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.  Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
2. Place the chocolate, milk and butter into a medium microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on for 30 seconds.  Stir.  Repeat until the mixture is melted and smooth.
3. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the pastry sheet into a 16x12-inch rectangle.  Spread the chocolate mixture on the pastry to within 1 1/2 inches of the edge.  Sprinkle with the pecans.  Starting at a short side, roll up like a jelly roll.  Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal.  Brush with the egg mixture.
4. Bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.  Let the strudel cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.

An InLinkz Link-up