How to Win Friends and Keep Colleagues Happy (Part 1)

The secret to a (slightly) happier workplace when deadlines are fierce and unforgiving?

Pastries!

I'm in active "clean-out-the-pantry" mode. It seems that odds and ends have piled up in the pantry over the past year. A bit of chocolate here, jar of sauce there...finally, I'd had enough and started pulling things out to see what I could make.

First up...French pastries. Recipe courtesy a very dated issue of Bon Appetit.

Petites Pains Au Chocolat

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), thawed, each sheet cut into 12 squares
• 1 large egg beaten to blend with 1 tablespoon of water (for glaze)
• 4 3.5-ounce bars imported bittersweet or milk chocolate, each cut into six 2x3/4-inch pieces
• Sugar

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush top of each puff pastry square with egg glaze. Place 1 chocolate piece on edge of 1 pastry square.

Roll up dough tightly, enclosing chocolate. Repeat with remaining pastry and chocolate. Place pastry rolls on baking sheet, seam side down.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush tops of pastry rolls with remaining egg glaze. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake until pastries are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover pastries with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate remaining egg glaze.