Petits Pains Au Chocolat Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Roll each into a 10-inch square. Cut each into 4 (5-inch) squares, making 8 in all.
• Place 2 tablespoons chocolate chips in the center of each pastry square. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg. Fold each pastry over the chocolate chips and press to seal. Place the filled pastries onto baking sheets. Brush the pastries with the egg.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool completely on wire racks. Cook and stir the remaining chocolate chips and the butter in a heavy 1-quart saucepan over low heat until the mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in the confectioners' sugar. Stir in the water, adding additional water, if necessary, until desired consistency. Drizzle the icing over the pastries

Steps:

• Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush top of each puff pastry square with egg glaze. Place 1 chocolate piece on edge of 1 pastry square. Roll up dough tightly, enclosing chocolate. Repeat with remaining pastry and chocolate. Place pastry rolls on baking sheet, seam side down. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover pastries with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate remaining egg glaze.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush tops of pastry rolls with remaining egg glaze. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake until pastries are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150F/Gas Mark 3. Heat the cream, vanilla and chocolate together in a small pan, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Beat the eggs and sugar together, then pour over the chocolate cream. Strain the mixture; divide between six 150ml/1/4pt ramekin dishes. Place in a roasting tin; pour boiling water from the kettle to come halfway up the outside of the dishes. Bake for 30 mins or until just set but still a little wobbly in the centre. Cool. Chill for at least 4 hours. Serve decorated with crème fraiche and chocolate curls.

Steps:

• Arrange racks in the upper third and lower thirds of the oven. Bring a skillet of water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Transfer the skillet to the floor of the oven and close the door. (The steam released inside the oven will create an ideal proofing environment for the pains au chocolat.) Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Remove the slab of dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature. Unwrap (save the plastic for proofing) and place on a very lightly floured surface. If the dough has shrunk during chilling, roll it out again to a slab that's 16 inches long and 15 inches wide. Dust off any excess flour with a pastry brush.
• Use a wheel cutter to trim 1/2 inch of dough from all four sides, straightening and squaring them off, creating a slab that's 15 inches long by 14 inches wide. Using a ruler, cut the slab lengthwise into 5 equal strips each measuring 3 inches wide. Cut each strip in half crosswise, creating 10 rectangles.
• Working one rectangle at a time, place a stick of chocolate along one of the shorter sides, leaving about a 1-inch border. Fold the pastry over the chocolate until it's wrapped around one time, then tuck another bar of chocolate into the fold. Wrap the pastry around the second bar of chocolate and continue to roll until you have a snug spiral. Transfer the pain au chocolat to a prepared baking sheet, resting it on the seam. Repeat with the remaining dough and chocolate, dividing between the baking sheets and spacing evenly. Very loosely cover with plastic wrap so the pastries have some room to expand.
• Open the oven and stick your hand inside - it should be humid but not hot, as the water in the skillet will have cooled. You want the pains au chocolat to proof at 70 to 75 degrees. (Any hotter and the butter will melt, leading to a denser pastry.) Gently place the baking sheets inside the oven and let the pastries proof until they're doubled in size, extremely puffy, and jiggle delicately on the baking sheet, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove the baking sheets from the oven and carefully uncover them. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes while you heat the oven. Remove the skillet from the oven and heat to 375 degrees.
• In a small bowl, stir the yolk and heavy cream until streak-free. Remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator and use a pastry brush to gently brush each pain au chocolat with the yolk mixture. Transfer the sheets to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and switch racks, and continue to bake until the pains au chocolat are deeply browned, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to make a 10" square.
• Cut into 4 squares. Place 2 Tbs. of chocolate chips in center of each square.
• Brush edges lightly with beaten egg and fold to form a triangle. Press the edges to seal.
• Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet.
• Brush tops of each pastry with beaten egg.
• Bake for 15-17 minute or until puffed and golden. Cool on baking sheets for 2 min; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• Melt the semisweet chocolate and butter in small, microwave safe bowl on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave an additional 10-15 seconds, stirring just until melted.
• Stir in powdered sugar. Add water, stirring until icing is smooth, adding additional water if necessary.
• Drizzle icing over pastries.