Puff Pastry Tutorial #3: Cream Horns

Another great recipe to make with some nice puff pastry is a cream horn.  You can fill these with pastry creme, lemon curd, whipped cream, or even chicken or tuna salad.  All you need for special equipment is a box or sugar cones (for ice cream).

Roll your puff pastry out into a 12 x 18 rectangle. Slice into strips about 1" wide.  Wrap the sugar cones in aluminum foil. Starting at the tip of the cone wrap a piece of pastry around and up the cone, overlapping each twist.  Brush with an egg wash and if desired sprinkle with sugar.  Chill on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Carefully remove cones from pastry and place on a cooling rack.  Spread a Tablespoon of melted chocolate inside (leave this step out if making a savory horn.)  Pipe the creme, curd, or whipped cream into the horn. Drizze chocolate lines on the top.



Bailey’ s  chocolate Mousse recipe is on the blog.

Rough Puff Pastry: Palmiers

Palmiers can be either sweet or savory.  Today I will show you how to make both.

For the sweet palmiers:                             For the savory palmiers:
1/2 puff pastry dough                                dijon mustard
sugar                                                         shredded Parmesan cheese
                                                                 cayenne pepper


For the sweet:
Cover your working space with a thick layer of sugar.  Lay 1/2 your dough on top.  Cover the top of the dough with a thick layer of sugar.  Using a rolling pin, pound the dough to flatten.  Add more sugar to the top and make sure the bottom is still on a nice layer of sugar.  Roll the dough out to a 10" x 14" rectangle.  Use a knife and trim of 1/4" of dough from each side.  Fold each of the 14" sides of the dough to the middle, leaving a small space between the two.  Then fold one side on top of the other.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 40 minutes.
Cut into 1/2" slices and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Take the ends and move apart like bunny ears.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes-you will see the bottom looks like caramel.  Flip and bake for one more minute.

For the savory:
Cover your working space lightly with flour.  Roll dough out to a 10" x 14" rectangle.  Trim edges.
Spread mustard thinly on top of dough.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (lightly).  Sprinkle cayenne pepper on top.  Press down lightly.  Form as you did for the sweet palmiers and refrigerate 40 minutes.
Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.

Rough Puff Pastry tutorial

Puff pastry can be a 2 day process..unless you learn to make rough puff pastry.  Today I will be showing you how to make it and in the next few days I wii show you delicious treats to make with it.
Think of it as an online baking class to enjoy while you are home during this COVID time. Happy baking!  This recipe comes from King Arthur Flour.

2 c. All purpose flour
1/2 t. Salt
1 c. Unsalted butter, cold
1/2 c. Water

In a medium bowl whisk the flour and salt together.
Cut the butter into small cubes.

Toss the butter cubes with the flour and flatten cubes with you fingers.  Refrigerate 10 minutes so butter stays cold.

Add the water, mix pressing dough to side of bowl until it forms a shaggy dough.  It will not form a cohesive mixture yet.

Turn the dough out onto floured work surface and press the dough into a rectangle.

Gently roll int a 6” by 20” rectangle.
fold 1/3 of dough to middle, the opposite end folds over your first fold.
Fold 1/3 on top of other third.

Turn the dough so that the folded side is to your left and roll the dough out again to a 6” by 20” rectangle.

This

Bring both of the  6”ends to meet in the middle, leaving a space between the folds.  Fold one side over the other like a book.   Repeat by rolling into a 6” by 20” rectangle and repeating the book fold.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using.

At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to two days or frozen up to three months. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Puff pastry Dinner Tart

This tart has a lovely pesto base topped with fresh sliced tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.  I am lucky to have homemade pesto, but you can always use store bought.

1 piece of puff pastry
2 tomatoes, sliced thin
1/3 c. Pesto
1 c. Shredded Parmesan cheese
2 green onions, sliced
5 kalamata olives, sliced

On a floured surface roll over the puff pastry dough until it is just a bit bigger.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Roll the edges up all the way around.  Spread pesto over the dough.  Place tomato slices on top of the pesto.  Top with onions and cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with olives.

Puff Pastry Apple Strudel

This is so simple I believe even a novice can do it.  The result looks great and tastes delicious.

1 sheet of puff pastry
1 apple, sliced very thin
3 T. Sugar
1T. Cinnamon

Cover your counter with flours d roll the puff pastry out a little bit
 Thinner than from the package.  Down the middle third of the pastry place the apples.

Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon.  Cut slits in the dough on the sides next to the pastry.  At the top begin crisis crossing the strips over the apples.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Brush with butter.  Cool and serve.