Rich, warm chocolate and gooey cream cheese filling meet Halloween fun in these delectable toasty pastry puffs!

Molten Chocolate Ingredients

  • 2.5 ounces semisweet chocolate (I like Baker’s, but you can use chocolate chips too)
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ egg (beaten then divided – use for both your chocolate and your pastry puff)
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • Three prep bowls; one large, one small, and one glass
  • Beaters

Cream Cheese Ingredients

  • 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • Prep bowl, beaters
  • Takes 2-3 minutes

Puff Pastry Ingredients

  • 2 puff pastry sheets, thawed yet cold
  • 1/2 egg, beaten (use same egg as chocolate mixture)
  • Sugar (coarse, turbinado, or granulated)
  • Baking Sheet(s)
  • Parchment Paper
  • Small prep bowl
  • Sharp knife
  • Small prep bowl and pastry brush (or paper towel)
  • Ziplock bags and toothpick (or prep bottles/pastry bags with tips)
  • Takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes

Background

These are a recent adaptation of my Chocolate Molten Tuxedo Pastry Puffs. I wanted something seasonal, and these Spooky Spider Pastries were just the ticket!

Chocolate molten filling adapted from Halfbaked Harvest 

When You’re Ready to Begin

Step-by-step: Prep Ahead

  1. Set puff pastry out to thaw 35 minutes ahead (depending on room temperature, it may take 40 minutes to thaw – you want sheets to unfold easily yet still be cold, so check at 35 minutes…if they’re not ready, wait another 5 minutes). Prep baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove frozen sheets of pastry from package. Set on parchment covered baking sheet, but do not ‘unfold’ them. Set timer.
  2. Set out cream cheese and egg to come to room temperature 35 minutes ahead of time.

When your Pastry Puff is Thawed

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. In a small bowl, beat the egg – divide into two small prep bowls (you will use part of your egg to brush your crust and the other part in your chocolate).
  3. Unfold pastry sheets.
  4. Brush pastry with beaten egg from one bowl (remember to save the other for your chocolate). Next, cut each pastry sheet into four squares – you will get a total of eight squares. Then, fold edges and press with a fork (to make a thicker crust). Gently poke the pastry with the fork to make small holes, being careful not to push all the way through the dough. Brush crust with beaten egg from the first bowl. Sprinkle the edges with turbinado sugar (optional, but highly recommended).
  5. Bake pastry for 15 minutes.

As the pastry begins to bake, prep your fillings.

  1. Chocolate filling prep: Place chopped chocolate and butter (cut into ½ pats) into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 30 seconds intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate and butter are smooth and incorporated. (I only needed to microwave twice.)
  2. In a large prep bowl, add sugar and the second half of your mixed egg and whisk together for 3 minutes. Whisk melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Then, mix in the pinch of salt. Place chocolate mixture in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  1. Cream cheese filling prep: In a prep bowl, beat the cream cheese for about 60 seconds so it gets creamy. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
  2. After 15 minutes, remove pastry puff (press the center down with the back of a spoon/cookie spatula if it got puffy – this is one of my secret tips – sometimes, puff pastry doesn’t behave…so I press it back into the desired shape after par-baking).
  3. Transfer your fillings into Ziplock bags (or filling bottles).
  4. Decorate! Pipe your chocolate onto your pastry first. Pipe in circles, starting in the center. Then, use the chocolate to fill in the edges of your pastries. Next, pipe your cream cheese.  Then, use a tooth pick to draw lines through your circles, creating cobweb designs (see pics).
  5. Once all puffs are filled, return the tray to the oven. Bake another 10 minutes until pastry edges are golden brown.
  6. Let rest at least 5 minutes before serving. *I love these served warm; my boyfriend loves them to be room temperature or chilled! If you’d like to serve them at room temperature, allow them to cool for about 30 minutes before serving! If you’d like to serve them chilled, pop them into the fridge after they’ve cooled for 30 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy

Other Options

These are also fun to fill with cream cheese and lemon curd!