I love these. They're so quick and easy but people will always think you spent way more time making them than you actually did. Your guests feel extra special and you get to enjoy flaky french pastries without spending hours preparing the dough - everybody wins!
Petit Pains au Chocolat
makes 24 mini pastries
from Epicurious
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), thawed
1 large egg beaten to blend with 1 tbsp water (egg wash)
4 (3.5-ounce) bars bittersweet or milk chocolate, each cut into six 2 x 3/4-inch pieces (I use 1.5 bars of Ghirardelli chocolate and just cut each square in half - there are 8 squares per bar)
A sprinkle of fine sea salt or sanding sugar
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut each sheet of pastry into 12 squares and brush the top of each with egg wash. Place 1 piece of chocolate on the edge of a pastry square and roll up tightly to enclose the chocolate. Place the pastry roll on the baking sheet, seam side down, and repeat with the remaining pastry squares and chocolate. (These can be made 1 day ahead. Cover pastries and remaining egg wash with plastic wrap and refrigerate both.)
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the tops of the pastry rolls with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle lightly with salt or sugar. Bake until the pastries are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
If you'd prefer little croissants, cut each pastry sheet into 12 triangles instead of squares and roll the chocolate from the base of the triangle up to the point.