Chocolate Croissant Cookies (Printer-friendly)
Flaky butter cookies filled with chocolate, inspired by classic croissants. Crisp, tender, and irresistibly chocolaty.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (225 g)
05 - 6 tablespoons ice water
→ Filling
06 - 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped or chocolate chips (115 g)
→ Topping
07 - 1 large egg, beaten
08 - 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold cubed butter and, using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut it into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining throughout.
02 - Drizzle the ice water over the mixture and fold gently until the dough just comes together. Be careful not to overwork it. Divide the dough into two equal disks, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
03 - Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
04 - On a lightly floured work surface, roll one disk of dough to approximately 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 3x3-inch squares using a knife or pastry wheel.
05 - Place a teaspoon of chopped chocolate in the center of each square. Fold two opposite corners over the filling so they slightly overlap, and gently pinch the dough together to seal, forming a mini croissant shape.
06 - Arrange the shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar.
07 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown and crisp on the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
08 - Repeat the rolling, filling, shaping, and baking process with the second disk of dough and remaining chocolate.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- They give you all the flaky, buttery satisfaction of a croissant without the overnight dough process and laminating stress.
- The contrast of shattering crisp edges against a molten chocolate center will make everyone think you spent hours on these.
02 -
- If your butter warms up while you are cutting it in, pop the whole bowl into the freezer for five minutes before continuing, because warm butter means flat cookies instead of flaky ones.
- The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to two days, which actually improves the texture and makes the rolling easier.
03 -
- Keep a bowl of ice water next to your workstation and dip your fingers in it occasionally while handling the dough, because cold hands make better pastry.
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through the cooking time for even browning, since most ovens have hot spots you never notice until one side burns.