THE MANY USES FOR FROZEN PUFF PASTRY

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THE MANY USES FOR FROZEN PUFF PASTRY

FROM FROZEN TO FABULOUS… THE MANY USE FOR FROZEN PUFF PASTRY

Ingredients

• SEE THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Instructions

1. When you need pastry or pie dough in a hurry, frozen puff pastry is the king of chef-loved convenience foods. It's incredibly versatile and can be used to make a huge array of hors d'oeuvres, main courses, and sweets. Puff pastry, the traditional French pastry made of layers of butter and dough, is used to make a variety of classic French pastries like croissants and napoleons, which we all love. But, there are simpler sweet, and savory applications that will make baking a crispy, buttery dream in just minutes.
2. There are many ways you can use puff pastry in the kitchen; use it in place of pastry or pie dough when making sweet pies, pot pies, quiche, and of course, for wellingtons. You can also create bakery-quality treats like fancy cheese straws or Palmiers, the French puff pastry cookie, that will have everyone thinking you're a master baker. If conquering the art of using puff pastry tickles your fancy, here are some tricks for getting the best results from this versatile dough:
3. Take the puff pastry out of the freezer 30 minutes before you want to use it OR thaw overnight in the refrigerator; do not remove it from its sealed paper wrapper until ready to use.
4. Most pre-made puff pastries come in sheets that are folded like a 3-fold letter. Don't try to unfold the sheets straight from the freezer or the pastry will crack. (If the dough cracks, dampen your fingers with water and gently press the puff pastry back together. Then roll it out to seal the fix.)
5. To resist sticking, always dust your work surface with flour. I like to keep a clean, dry pastry brush nearby to brush off any excess flour from the dough.
6. Once you’ve rolled it out or cut the dough into the desired shapes, if the pastry starts to soften before you're finished preparing it for the oven, just put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Puff Pastry is easier to work with, and it bakes up better when cold.
7. In the case of a tart, you don't want the pastry to puff in the middle where the filling is, so prick the dough all over with a fork, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border, to allow the sides to puff and essentially create the tart shell for you.
8. Consider using frozen puff pastry for a Tomato Strudel with Goat Cheese and Nicoise Olives or Mini Caramelized Onion Tarts with Bacon & Gorgonzola for an easy hors d’oeuvre. Homemade Sweet Cherry
9. Strudelles can resemble empanadas by mixing good quality canned pitted cherries with sugar and vanilla paste and spooning them into 4x4 squares of puff pastry. Fold one edge to the opposite side to create a triangle and seal the edges, then bake. My current favorite is a 3-ingredient per-person tart; a square of puff pastry with half of Melissa's Forelle Pear nestled on top, cut side up, sprinkled with sugar, and baked to make a simple, rustic Individual Pear Tart. With a drizzle of sea salt caramel and a dollop of whipped cream, the dessert is simply elegant. For a quick, indulgent dessert or a fancy, easy appetizer, Puff Pastry really can't be beaten. Let me know what buttery, fabulous recipe you love making using the frozen stuff! Email me at Jamie@chefjamie.com

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