photo: verybestbaking.com
Oh how I miss those French patisseries (pastry shops). Nothing beats walking around and catching a waft of all the goodies when a customer exited one of these. My favorite is the very simple pain au chocolat, or chocolate croissant. Towards the end of my time studying abroad, I can’t remember how, but a couple of us became friendly with a baker. At 5am, when the clubs closed and parties ended, we used to go visit him as he was starting his day and we were ending ours. He would allow us to come into the area where he made his pastries, below his patisserie, and we would buy the first croissant/pain au chocolat right off the baking sheet. I literally am salivating at the memory! Recently, I found this recipe for petit pain au chocolat. Easy to make and delicious.
Ingredients
1 pkg. (17.25 oz.) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 cup (6 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Morsels, divided
1 large egg, beaten
2 oz. NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar, broken into pieces
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
Preparation
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 2 baking sheets.
UNFOLD 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll out to make a 10-inch square. Cut into 4 squares. Place 2 tablespoons morsels in center of each square. Brush edges lightly with beaten egg and fold squares to form triangles. Press edges to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet. Brush top of each pastry with beaten egg.
BAKE for 15 to 17 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
MELT broken baking bar and butter in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds; STIR. If pieces retain some of their original shape, microwave at additional 10 to 15-second intervals, stirring just until smooth. Stir in sugar. Add water, stirring until icing is smooth, adding additional water, if necessary. Drizzle icing over pastries.
Recipe via: http://www.verybestbaking.com/
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