Raspberry Chocolate Cream Pastries

Makes a dozen 3" pastries

Ingredients 

2 C flour

1 T sugar

1/4 t salt

6 oz (12 T) cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 C cold water

4 oz cream cheese @ room temperature

1 T + 1 t sugar, to taste

1/4 t vanilla

6 oz fresh raspberries

2 t sugar, to taste

1 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 egg, for egg wash

2 t water

powdered sugar, for dusting

 

Method

 

For the pastry dough, place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the small pieces of butter and pulse until you can still see chunks about the size of small peas. Add the cold water. Pulse the dough until it just begins to form clumps around the center of the bowl, taking care not to overmix. Gather the dough and place half of it on a sheet of plastic wrap. Form a disc, wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours. Repeat with the second half of the dough.

For the fillings, combine the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla. Chill.

Smash the raspberries with a fork just enough to break them up. Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Set aside.

Finely chop the chocolate and set aside.

When you're ready to roll out the dough, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine egg and water for egg wash and set aside.

Remove one packet of dough from the refrigerator and rest on a lightly floured work surface or piece of parchment paper for a few minutes so it can warm up a bit to prevent cracking. Then roll out the dough to about a 12 1/2" x 16 1/2" rectangle with a 1/8" thickness, gently lifting and moving the dough after each roll and keeping the work surface lightly floured as needed. When you have the desired dimensions, brush off any excess flour and place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Chill for a few minutes while you repeat with the second packet of dough.

Cut out twelve 3" rounds from each sheet of dough and place twelve of them equally spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.

Remove cream cheese filling from the refrigerator and scoop about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 teaspoons in the center of the twelve pastry rounds on the baking sheet. Spread it out a bit, leaving a border around the edge of the pastry. Top with an equal amount of raspberries and a sprinkle of finely chopped chocolate. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and top with remaining pastry rounds. Press down gently and seal the edges. Chill until the oven is ready.

Brush each pastry with egg wash, including around the edges to secure the seal, and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar. Bake the pastries for 15 - 18 minutes or until they are browned and puffed. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.