HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CRONUTS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread out an 8-ounce container of refrigerated crescent dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pinch the perforated edges together and fold 1/3 of the dough over the center third; fold opposite 1/3 of dough over first third. Lightly sprinkle the dough with flour and roll it out, pressing firmly together so that the layers don't separate completely during frying.
• Fold the dough into thirds again in the opposite direction; sprinkle dough with flour and use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle measuring about 4x7 inches.
• Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut 2 circles from the dough. Then use a 1-inch cookie cutter to cut holes from the centers of the 3-inch rounds to make flat doughnut-like shapes.
• Repeat the steps with the remaining 8-ounce container of refrigerated crescent dough. You will now have 4 cronuts to fry. Reserve the holes and the dough scraps for frying as well, if you wish.
• Carefully lower cronuts into the heated oil, working in batches if necessary, and fry on one side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip cronuts and fry until other sides are golden brown, 2 to 3 more minutes. Cronuts will puff up during frying. Remove the cronuts to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Fill a plastic squeeze bottle with a long, pointed tip or a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip with vanilla pudding. Push the bottle tip into the side of a cronut and squeeze 1 or 2 teaspoons of vanilla pudding into the pastry; continue filling pastry from the side with several more holes spaced around the edge of the cronut. Repeat, filling remaining cronuts with pudding.
• Place chopped bittersweet chocolate into a heatproof mixing bowl. Pour cream into a small saucepan over low heat. Heat cream almost to a boil, stirring constantly; pour hot cream over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is warm and smooth. Dip tops of cronuts in warm ganache, place on a serving platter, and let cool until ganache has set, about 5 minutes.