Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Gently press the dough to deflate it and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a 12-by-16-by-14-inch rectangle. With a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough lengthwise into 16 one-inch-wide strips. Holding your palms on each end of a strip, twist one in the opposite direction from the other at the same time. Wrap the entire strip around one end to form a coiled pinwheel. Tuck the tail underneath. Repeat with the other strips of dough. Place the pinwheels on the baking sheets at least 2 inches apart (8 per pan). Do not crowd. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1
1
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2
hours. (You can cover these with a double layer of plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight, then fill and bake in the morning.)
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Using your fingertips, gently press to the bottom on the center of each coil to form an indentation for the filling. Place about 2 tablespoons of the pie filling into the center. Be careful not to use too much filling or it will bubble over during baking. You want filling surrounded by dough.
Place a second baking sheet of the same dimensions under one of the pans holding pastries to double pan and prevent the bottoms from burning. Bake for 13 to 16 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack. Double pan and place the second batch of rolls in the oven.
As the second batch bakes, frost the first batch. Make the buttercream frosting by whisking all the frosting ingredients together in a small bowl; beat until smooth and thick, yet pourable. Glaze the pastries while still warm and on the baking sheet, drizzling the glaze back and forth with the end of a spoon, a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip, or the tips of your fingers. Move the pastries from the baking pan to a wire rack to cool. The frosting will set as it cools. When the second batch of rolls is finished, frost the same way. Let the pastries cool on the racks for 15 minutes before eating.
PETITS PAINS AU CHOCOLAT
Makes 15 little sweet breads
C
hocolate-filled pastries, often made from labor-intensive brioche dough, line up side-by-side with other morning pastries such as Danishes, brioche à tête, and croissants. But here is a recipe for chocolate pastries that uses a much easier sweet egg dough (that chills overnight, so plan accordingly) to make the perfect pouch for a good melted chocolate filling. If you can, use a high-quality brand of semisweet chocolate, like Callebaut, Scharffen Berger, or Guittard. Cut off chunks from a thick block, or, if you are using thin blocks, here is a tip for breaking them easily into pieces: Dip a 10-inch chef’s knife into hot water for a minute, dry it off, and then, exerting as little pressure as possible, cut the chocolate into strips; reheat the knife as needed. These pastries are great for brunch, still slightly warm, with coffee. Go ahead and dunk them.
1
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/
2
- OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES
2
/
3
cup milk
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
2
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/
2
cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
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/
2
teaspoons bread machine yeast
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or broken into 12-ounce pieces
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon milk, for glaze
Place the ingredients, except the chocolate, in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough will be sticky. Grease a deep bowl. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Using a dough card, turn the dough out into the bowl, scraping the sides of the pan and supporting the dough as it comes out. Cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and brush with melted butter. Turn the cold dough out onto a work surface dusted with flour. With a metal bench knife, divide into 15 equal portions. With a floured rolling pin, roll out each portion to a 4-inch square about
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4
inch thick. Place
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/
2
ounce of chocolate in the center of each square. Fold each corner up into the center to encase the chocolate. Pinch to seal. Place seam side down on the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until puffy, about 1 hour.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Brush each pastry with some egg glaze. Bake, one pan at a time, for 15 to 18 minutes, until light golden brown and dry to the touch. Transfer to a rack to cool, although these are good eaten warm.