Nutella and Apricot Jam Frolla Faces

Frolla Faces with Chocolate and Jam
Category: Desserts
Servings: 4

These delightful Frolla Faces, a charming treat for children, are made of crisp shortcrust pastry filled with creamy Nutella and sweet apricot jam. The combination of textures and flavors makes them the perfect fun dessert to serve at a party or as an afternoon snack. Follow the steps to create these adorable faces that are as delicious as they are playful!

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Shortcrust Pastry:
   Begin by preparing the shortcrust pastry dough. In a food processor, combine the flour, cold butter cut into small pieces, a pinch of salt, and powdered sugar. Pulse the mixture for a few seconds until it reaches a sandy, crumbly texture.

2. Form the Dough:
   Transfer the crumbly mixture onto a clean work surface, forming a mound or ‘fountain’. Cut the vanilla bean pod lengthwise, and use a knife to scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds into the center of the flour mixture.

3. Add the Egg Yolk:
   Crack the egg yolk into the center of the mound. Using your hands, work the mixture together, gently kneading it until you form a smooth dough. Once combined, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow it to set.

4. Shape the Faces:
   After chilling the dough, roll it out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm. Use a round cookie cutter (approximately 10 cm in diameter) to cut out 8 circles. These will form the face shapes. Place the circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. Create the Faces:
   Take a smaller moon-shaped cutter and create the smiling mouth on half of the circles. The remaining dough can be used to create little nose shapes. These will add the cute facial features to your pastry faces. Brush the faces lightly with water between the eye holes to help the features stick.

6. Bake the Pastry:
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C for fan-assisted ovens). Bake the pastry faces in the preheated oven for approximately 15-20 minutes (or 10-15 minutes for fan-assisted). Keep an eye on them, as the edges should turn golden brown when they’re ready.

7. Assemble the Frolla Faces:
   Once the faces are baked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, take two of the solid circles (without facial cutouts) and spread Nutella on them. For the remaining two circles, spread a layer of apricot jam.

8. Join the Faces:
   Place the Nutella-filled circles on top of the jam-filled circles to create the “sandwiches”. The sweet Nutella and jam filling will provide a perfect contrast to the buttery, crunchy pastry.

9. Serve:
   Once assembled, serve these Frolla Faces to children as a fun and tasty treat! They’re perfect for an afternoon snack or as part of a festive dessert spread.

Enjoy your charming Frolla Faces with Nutella and apricot jam—perfect for bringing smiles to the table!