Ingredients:
2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
Directions:
First prepare chocolate pastry cream.
Set out a large bowl of ice water and a smaller bowl.
In a stainless steel pot, bring the milk to a boil.
Whisk together the yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl.
Add a small quantity of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously.
Continue adding milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated.
Boil the mixture, whisking constantly, for one to two minutes.
Stir in the chocolate, then remove from heat and scrape the pastry cream into the smaller bowl.
Place the small bowl into the ice water bath.
Stir frequently to keep the cream smooth.
Cool to 140 degrees.
Remove the cream from the ice bath and stir in the butter, in three or four additions.
Return the bowl to the ice bath and continue to stir occasionally until the cream is completely cool.
Whip heavy cream until it holds medium peaks, then gently fold into the prepared pastry cream.
Place the pastry cream into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
Cut the puff pastry into 15 rectangular pieces.
Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Turn convection oven to 375 degrees.
Dust the tops of the pastry rectangles with granulated sugar.
Bake for eight to ten minutes.
Turn pan around and bake for another eight to ten minutes.
Remove pastry from oven, then gently invert pan onto another parchment-line sheet pan.
Sift powdered sugar on the unbrowned side of the pastry.
Bake for another five minutes, until the sugar is smooth, shiny and caramelized.
Watch carefully during this phase so pastry does not burn.
Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
Split pastries rectangles and pipe pastry cream onto bottom layer, then replace with the top.
Dust plates with cocoa powder and serve.
Servings: 8
Time preparation: 20 min.
Time total: 50 min.