Chocolate Orange Pastries

Modified recipe by Pillsbury from The Daily Meal. The combination of chocolate and orange is a pleasing one, blending together the rich qualities of chocolate with the citrus from the orange. This recipe uses cream cheese and marmalade to mellow out their bold flavors, and wraps them up in refrigerated pie crusts to create a quick and delicious pastry. NOTE: Prep time is allowed for pie crust to come to room temperature.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 3  ounces low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel recommended, at room temperature)
• 2 -3  teaspoons orange zest (optional)
• 2  refrigerated pie crusts (such as Pillsbury Ready Roll, at room temperature)
• 1⁄4 cup orange marmalade
• 1  dash salt
• 1  egg (separated)
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup  miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 2  teaspoons sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, orange marmalade, egg yolk, and orange zest until well blended.
3. Unroll the pie crust on a work surface. Cut the pie crusts into 32 circles using a 2 1/2" fluted cookie cutter.
4. Spread about two teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture over half the pastry circles, leaving a void about 1/4" from the edges.
5. Top the cream cheese with 8-10 mini chocolate chips.
6. Top each pastry circle with another pastry circle. Crimp the edges with a fork.
7. Brush beaten egg white over the pastries. Sprinkle each pastry with a bit of sugar.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastries are a light golden brown.
9. Remove pastries from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.