Nutella Pastry Pockets

                        I don’t think I have ever known a person who doesn’t like, no scratch that, love Nutella. It…..is…...amazing, nothing more and nothing less. I have, though very sad, met people who have yet to try it. This brings me to one conclusion: if you have eaten Nutella, you are both in love and lucky!

                Well being one of those in love and lucky people, I am always attempting to include it in some new recipes. One of my favorite Nutella recipes is by Rachael Ray, she calls them Mini Italian Mud Pies, I call them Heaven! Matt actually always makes fun of me though because I serve them so often when we have friends/family over. He calls it my “go-to” dessert. Well, if you have time, try her recipe, it is truly incredible and you might just be serving it again and again in the future.

                Back to my recipe though! This concoction came out of a need for a quick dessert for a family gathering that could be transported easily. I also knew I had pie crust chillin’ in the freezer, haha, pun intended, that I wanted to use up.  All I needed to buy was the Nutella and nuts and in about 45 minutes, I had a delicious, different, and decadent dessert to bring! I warmed them before serving and was delighted to spread the love and luck around! Enjoy……

Nutella Pastry Pockets

Yields: 16

OBJ: TCW be able to combine some of her favorite flavors tucked inside a pastry

Ingredients:

1 store bought 9 inch pie crust, defrosted

¼ C hazelnuts (aka Filberts), toasted and finely chopped

½ C Nutella or other Hazelnut spread

1 egg, beaten

¼ C sugar

Procedures:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

3. Unroll dough and use about a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter to make 16 pastry rounds (**You will have to re-roll dough out a few times to get 16 rounds**)

4. Place ½ tsp Nutella in the center of each round, then sprinkle ¼ tsp nuts over Nutella

5. Using your finger or small pastry brush, rub/brush a little egg wash on the edge of each round

6. Fold over to form a pocket or “half moon”, dip a fork into egg wash, drip to get rid of excess and use it to seal pocket shut

7. Place all the pockets on prepared baking sheet, brush each with egg wash, and sprinkle each with a pinch of sugar

8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown on edges

9. Serve warm, either quickly after baking or microwave them for about 1 minute before serving

***Dunking into coffee or tea is highly recommended!***