Recipe: Chocolate-Filled Filo Triangles

the appetizer:

In Classic Stars Desserts, pastry chef Emily Luchetti reprises a selection of recipes from the heyday of San Francisco's acclaimed Stars Restaurant, including Lemon Squares, Chocolate-Filled Filo Triangles, and Goat Cheese Cake with Mixed Berries.

Chocolate-Filled Filo Triangles

Serves 8

These triangles are like a crunchy pain au chocolate, with filo replacing the traditional yeasted dough. If you wish, put a little raspberry jam on top of the chocolate before you fold each triangle.

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 sheets filo, thawed if frozen
4 ounces (8 tablespoons)
unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Break up 4 ounces of the chocolate into 1/2-ounce pieces. In a food processor, finely grind the remaining 2 ounces chocolate with the sugar.

Lay a stack of 8 sheets of filo on a work surface. Remove 1 sheet and place it lengthwise in front of you. Keep the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel.

Brush the sheet with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle it evenly with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the chocolate-sugar mixture. Place a second sheet of filo on top, brush it with butter, and sprinkle it with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the chocolate-sugar mixture. Add 2 more sheets in the same manner, brushing each with butter and topping each with the chocolate-sugar mixture.

Cut the filled stack of filo sheets lengthwise into 4 even strips. Starting at the left end of 1 strip, place a 1/2-ounce piece of chocolate 2 inches from the edge. Fold the end of the filo diagonally over the chocolate, enclosing the chocolate completely and creating a 3-inch triangle; the bottom edge of the strip should now be even with the left side of the strip. Next, fold the bottom of the triangle up, so that it meets the straight edge evenly. Now fold again on the diagonal, so that the left edge is even with the right side. Repeat this folding pattern, alternating the direction with each fold, until you reach the end of the strip. Repeat with the remaining 3 strips, to make 3 more triangles. Place the triangles on the prepared baking sheet.

Make 4 more chocolate-filled triangles in the same manner, using the remaining filo sheets, melted butter, chocolate-sugar mixture, and chocolate pieces. Add the triangles to the baking sheet. If there is any butter left over, brush it on top of the triangles.

Bake the triangles until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Planning Ahead

The triangles are best served the day they are made. If they have cooled completely before you are ready to serve them, reheat them in a 350 degrees F oven for 8 minutes.