Chocolate Croissant Cookies (Print Version)
Buttery flaky pastry cookies filled with melted semi-sweet chocolate, inspired by classic French croissants.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 6 tablespoons cold water
→ Filling
06 - 4 ounces (115 g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped or chocolate chips
→ Topping
07 - 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
08 - 2 tablespoons turbinado or granulated sugar
# How to Make It:
01 - In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add 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.
02 - Drizzle in cold water and mix gently until the dough just comes together. Do not overwork. Divide into 2 equal disks, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
03 - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk to about 1/8-inch (3 mm) thickness. Cut into 3x3-inch (7.5 cm) squares.
05 - Place a teaspoon of chopped chocolate in the center of each square. Fold two opposite corners over the filling, slightly overlapping, and gently pinch to seal—resembling a mini croissant shape.
06 - Arrange shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Brush tops generously with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado or granulated sugar.
07 - Bake for 13–15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.
08 - Repeat the rolling, filling, shaping, and baking process with the second dough disk and remaining chocolate filling.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The flaky layers come together without any folding or laminating, so you get croissant texture with half the effort and none of the frustration.
- That moment when someone bites into one and asks where you bought them is worth every minute spent making them.
02 -
- If your kitchen runs warm, pop the shaped cookies back into the fridge for ten minutes before baking, because soft butter means flat cookies and lost layers.
- The dough will seem too dry and crumbly right before it comes together, so resist the urge to add extra water or you will end up with tough cookies.
03 -
- Use the coldest butter you can manage, and if your hands run hot, work the dough with a pastry cutter or even two forks to keep that butter from softening prematurely.
- A light hand with the rolling pin preserves the flaky layers better than pressing hard, so let the dough do the work instead of muscling it flat.