Dessert Puff Pastry Ravioli with Chocolate Sauce

This dessert matches the wonderful pairing of Brie cheese and strawberries with flaky puff pastry and rich chocolate sauce. Beyond delicious!

One of the drawbacks of contemplating food all day is that the thoughts are not always relegated to daytime hours. Typically I would not complain about dreaming of food. Many a fine feast has taken place during the concentrated hours of REM sleep. In the case, however, I was so intent on remembering every piece of this recipe that I woke up no less than twenty times, thinking of puff pastry. Admitting this may promptly land me in a prone position on a psychiatrist's couch. Certainly Freud could have conjured up something scandalous and distasteful from my errant dreams.

When I awoke in the morning, bleary-eyed and strangely ravenous, I put my puff pastry plans into motion. Pieces of Brie cheese were laid on the rolled pastry, topped with small strawberry wedges and another sheet of puff pastry. Then, using my handheld ravioli cutter (a knife would be just as effective, though not quite as pretty), I cut several dessert ravioli. If you're Italian, please forgive me for blaspheming the true pockets of pasta perfection of your heritage. Baked until puffed and golden brown and topped with velvety warm chocolate sauce, the flaky pastry pockets made for a dessert worthy of many more dreams.

How to make Puff Pastry "Ravioli":

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a surface lightly dusted with flour, roll the one sheet of store-bought puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Cut the sheet in half to form two rectangles.

Thinly slice 2 ounces of Brie cheese and cut each piece into thirds crosswise for a total of 8 squares. Lay the Brie cheese pieces at even intervals on one rectangle of puff pastry.

Hull two medium strawberries and slice each into 8 wedges. Top each piece of Brie with two strawberry pieces.

Cover with the other puff pastry rectangle and, using your hands, gently press the top puff pastry sheet to form loosely around each cheese/strawberry mound.

Using a handheld circle ravioli cutter or a knife, cut around each mound to form eight "ravioli".

Using a small metal spatula, lift the ravioli onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. With a small sharp knife, cut two small slits in the ravioli to release steam while cooking.

In a small bowl, whisk together one egg white and 2 teaspoons water, and brush the surface of the ravioli with the mixture.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar evenly over the ravioli. Bake until the ravioli are golden brown, turning the baking sheet halfway through cooking, about 12 minutes. Place on a cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

Chocolate Sauce Recipe:

In a small saucepan, heat ½ cream until it just starts to boil. Place 2 ounces bittersweet and 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, all finely chopped, into a medium bowl and pour the cream over the chocolate, whisking until smooth.

Place 2 ravioli on each plate and drizzle with the chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.

Brie Cheese & Strawberry Puff Pastry "Ravioli" & Chocolate Sauce

Ravioli:
1 sheet store-bought puff pastry, defrosted
Flour for dusting
2 oz. Brie cheese, chilled
2 medium-sized strawberries, cut into eighths
1 egg white
2 teaspoon water
2 tablespoon turbinado sugar (such as Sugar in the Raw)

Chocolate Sauce:
½ cup heavy cream
2 oz. high-quality bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, finely chopped
1 ½ oz. high-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Ravioli:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a surface lightly dusted with flour, roll the puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Cut the sheet in half to form two rectangles.

Thinly slice the Brie cheese and cut each piece into thirds crosswise for a total of 8 squares. Lay the Brie cheese pieces at even intervals on one rectangle of puff pastry. Top each piece of Brie with two strawberry pieces. Cover with the other puff pastry rectangle and, using your hands, gently press the top puff pastry sheet to form loosely around each cheese/strawberry mound. Using a handheld circle ravioli cutter or a knife, cut around each mound to form eight "ravioli".

Using a small metal spatula, lift the ravioli onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly. With a small sharp knife, cut two small slits in the ravioli to release steam while cooking.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and water and brush the surface of the ravioli with the mixture. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the ravioli. Bake until the ravioli are golden brown, turning the baking sheet halfway through cooking, about 12 minutes. Place on a cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes.

Chocolate Sauce:
In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it just starts to boil. Place the bittersweet and semisweet chocolate into a medium bowl and pour the cream over the chocolate, whisking until smooth.

Place 2 ravioli on each plate and drizzle with the chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Printable recipe