Description
Sweet pastry crescents packed with rich chocolate promise a delightful journey through French bakery traditions. Small hand pies deliver pure comfort and indulgence that will melt hearts faster than their delicate golden crusts.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Filling:
- 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Pie Dough:
- 1 package pre-made pie crusts (or homemade pie dough)
Egg Wash and Optional Topping:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Optional: additional chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
- Transform the kitchen workspace by aligning the oven rack and preheating to 375°F (190°C), while simultaneously preparing a parchment-lined baking sheet for optimal pastry performance.
- Delicately unfurl pie crusts across a flour-dusted surface, wielding a precise cutting tool to craft uniform geometric shapes that will cradle the decadent chocolate interior.
- Craft a silky chocolate filling by gently melting chocolate chips into heavy cream, stirring with meditative patience until the mixture achieves a luxurious, glossy consistency. Allow the molten mixture to rest and slightly thicken.
- Strategically deposit dollops of the rich chocolate mixture onto the center of each pastry base, maintaining a careful perimeter to prevent leakage during the sealing process.
- Crown each chocolate-laden pastry base with its corresponding crust companion, employing gentle finger pressure to fuse the edges. Enhance the seal by pressing fork tines around the perimeter, creating an intricate crimped border.
- Whisk egg with water to generate a luminous wash, then tenderly brush the pie surfaces to promote a golden, glossy exterior during baking.
- Transfer the assembled hand pies onto the prepared baking sheet, allowing them to transform in the heated oven for 15-18 minutes until achieving a burnished, flaky perfection.
- Permit the hand pies a momentary cooling interlude, then serve while still warm. For an indulgent finale, scatter additional chocolate chips atop the pies, allowing them to melt seductively.
Notes
- Chill the pie dough before rolling to prevent shrinkage and create flakier crusts that hold their shape better during baking.
- Control chocolate filling temperature carefully to avoid leaking; let it cool until slightly thickened but still spreadable for easier sealing.
- Create perfect seals by crimping edges with fork tines and ensuring no filling touches the border to prevent separation during baking.
- Experiment with alternative fillings like dark chocolate, white chocolate, or add nuts for extra texture and flavor complexity in your hand pies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg