Puff Pastry is such a fun and easy dough to make simple desserts and appetizers for parties and events. It is a flaky and buttery dough that bakes up puffy with delicate layers. Add sweet or savory toppings or fillings.
One of my favorite short cut staples happens to be puff pastry. I love how easy it is to work with and how rewarding the recipe results can be.
What is it?
Puff Pastry can be either made from scratch or be purchased in the freezer aisle at your local grocer. It retails for around $6 but can be found on sale during the holidays. Each box of frozen pastry typically comes with 2 shells which are coated in flour and tucked between layers of thick wax/parchment paper.
Uses:
You can use puff pastry dough for pies, bars, casseroles, dessert squares, tarts, mini pies, and savory appetizers. The possibilities are almost endless as long as you bake it correctly.
How long to defrost?
Before working with puff pastry it needs to defrost. If you do not defrost it, it will be nearly impossible to unfold or work with. You can thaw puff pastry in the fridge. I typically will put my dough in the night before I need to use it. However, it can be sped up by removing the shells from the box and covering them with plastic wrap on a plate.
You can also thaw it quickly (about 2 hours) by leaving the box on the counter. Just be sure to check on it throughout the day.
To really speed up defrosting you could remove the shells from the box and place them on a microwave-safe plate. However, you should only use your microwaves defrost mode and only defrost in 30-second intervals. You do not want to over microwave or it will start to “cook” the dough and make it super gummy!
How to Bake
When baking, I typically follow the manufacturer’s box timing which can vary per recipe. Traditionally, dough is baked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes.
Defrosted pastry can be cut into rectangles, squares, or by cookie cutters. You can even bake puff pastry in muffin tins like I do with these apple pies.
They will bake up to a light golden brown color. You will notice they will not expand width size but will expand in height.
Once the shells cool, I carefully slice them in half and fill them with fresh fruit toppings or real whipped cream for desserts.
Easy Dessert Recipes
Today, I wanted to share some of my favorite dessert recipes I have made using puff pastry. Check them out below and be sure to let us know if you have tried any of them. Many, like the Snowflake Cream Puffs are viral recipes with lots of positive feedback on Pinterest.
Raspberry Chocolate Cream Puffs
A deliciously flaky puff pastry featuring real whipped cream, fresh raspberries and chocolate drizzle.
A very quick and easy mini cream puff with real whipped cream you can make with little baking skills in just 20 minutes.
Go to this recipe
Iced Pumpkin Turnovers
Pumpkin Puff Pastry Turnovers are a delicious twist on a classic. Made with puff pastry, cinnamon, sugar, and pumpkin puree they are the perfect way to celebrate the season! They're quick and easy to make, and they have all of the delicious flavors that you love in your favorite pumpkin pie without any of the hassle!
Go to this recipe
Mini Apple Pies with Puff Pastry
These Mini Apple Pies with Puff Pastry are the perfect handheld dessert you can easily make at home with only a few ingredients. In this recipe, Puff Pastry Dough and Apple Pie Filling are married in a muffin tin, topped with walnuts (or pecans), and baked to a golden flaky perfection.
Cream Puffs with Blackberries & White Chocolate are a simple puff pastry dessert that any home cook can recreate. They feature store-bought puff pastry, Torani White Chocolate Sauce, and fresh blackberries with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Chocolate-Filled Real Cream Squares feature a Puff Pastry shell stuffed with Real Chocolate & Sweetened Whipped Cream. Such a tasty real cream dessert!
Mushrooms and sweet onions are caramelized with balsamic vinegar, and then baked with cheese on buttery, and flaky puff pastry. These bite-sized appetizers are easy to make and such a crowd pleaser!
Heat is the enemy of Puff Pastry—it handles best when cold. So avoid working with it on hot, humid days, in a stifling hot kitchen or next to your oven.
The main differences between puff pastry and phyllo dough are their fat content and preparation. Puff pastry is a laminated dough that gets its signature airy puff from layers of butter, while phyllo dough is comparatively low-fat. Phyllo dough is mostly flour and water and can dry out easily.
Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. Place pastries 1 inch apart. If you want a flaky thin and crispy pastry that's not very puffy, prick the unbaked Puff Pastry all over with a fork, which lets steam escape while baking.
You can brush an egg-wash glaze (1 egg plus 1 tsp.water) over the Puff Pastry to create a rich, golden sheen when baked. Use an egg wash to help seal filled pastries and connect Puff Pastry pieces: mix 1 egg plus 1 tsp. water, brush between layers, then pinch or press together.
If you make raw cookie dough at home, or buy the ones labeled as okay to est raw, the flour is heated to safe temperatures before making the dough. Puff pastry is not intended to be eaten raw, so manufacturers are not obliged to treat the flour. They expect you to bake it before eating it.
Croissants, or even fan khari are highly rich in fat, may seem like a tempting way to start your day, but they contain yeast, a type of microbe that irritates the stomach lining and can result in flatulence.
The crescent-shaped croissant is a flaky pastry with buttery layers whereas a puff pastry is a drier composition of dough. Both use similar ingredients and preparation work.
Even better, switch your pastry from shortcrust or puff to filo. This is the lowest-fat pastry by far, with 2.9g fat per 100g. This compares with 26.2g for puff or 31.4g for shortcrust. Filo is the lowest-calorie option too, and it's easy to use.
How Is This Different From Pie Crust and Yeasted Pastry Dough? Pie crust, while buttery and flaky, is not nearly as light, doughy, and crisp as this shortcut puff pastry. Yeasted pastry dough, such as something we can use for croissants, croissant bread, or a pastry braid, contain yeast.
Milk is too runny and will burn but you can add a little to your egg wash to make it a little thinner for coating. Melted butter also burns quite quickly. Egg wash is the most reliable because it coats the pastry evenly and doesn't run off.
With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.
To save time, you can buy ready-rolled pastry sheets rather than using a block of pastry or making your own. These should be brought to room temperature before using, so that they do not split or crack when unrolled. Unroll and cut to shape as desired, then chill again before baking.
Use an egg wash to seal them shut and help them hold their shape. As a bonus, the egg will help your puff pastry achieve that coveted golden sheen. If you're making a filled pastry, like a pot pie, for example, cut a few vents in the dough so hot air can escape and circulate as it bakes.
Shortcrust pastry can sometimes brown unevenly, with some areas becoming too dark and others remaining pale. This can happen if the oven temperature is too high, if the pastry is not rolled evenly, or if it's placed on a rack that's too high or too low in the oven.
Keep everything as cool as possible otherwise the fat may melt which would spoil the finished dish. Introduce as much air as possible during making. Allow to relax after making to allow the fat to harden. Handle the pastry as little as possible.
Puff pastry is high in fat. Each 1-oz. serving of puff pastry contains 11 g of total fat. Of this, only 2 g comes from saturated fat, which can increase your risk of high cholesterol.
About a third of puff and shortcrust pastry is fat, and if it's made with butter or palm oil, it contains more saturated fat than if it's made with unsaturated fats such as sunflower spread. These are our most commonly used pastries, but it's worth trying to keep them for a treat. Not all pastry is high in fat.
Introduction: My name is Margart Wisoky, I am a gorgeous, shiny, successful, beautiful, adventurous, excited, pleasant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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