Barefoot Contessa Puff Pastry Food

HAM AND CHEESE IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.
• Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and carefully roll it out to 10 by 12 inches. Place it on a sheet pan and brush the center with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place a layer first of ham and then cheese, also leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash.
• Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the floured board and roll it out to 10 by 12inches. Place the second sheet on top of the filled pastry, lining up the edges. Cut the edges straight with a small, sharp knife and press together lightly. Brush the top with egg wash and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve hot or warm.

HAM AND CHEESE IN PUFF PASTRY ( BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.
• Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and carefully roll it out to 10 by 12 inches. Place it on a sheet pan and brush the center with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place a layer first of ham and then cheese, also leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash.
• Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the floured board and roll it out to 10 by 12inches. Place the second sheet on top of the filled pastry, lining up the edges. Cut the edges straight with a small, sharp knife and press together lightly. Brush the top with egg wash and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve hot or warm.

APPLE TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4 squares. Divide the pastry between the prepared sheet pans and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
• Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally across the pastry and place one slice of apple on each side of the arranged slices. Sprinkle the apples evenly with the sugar and dot them with the butter.
• Bake for 40 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tarts will be fine! When the tarts are done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados until bubbly and brush the apples and pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tarts with a metal spatula so they don't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

SOPPRESSATA AND CHEESE IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.
• Lay one sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and lightly roll into a 10-inch square. Place it on the sheet pan and brush the pastry with all the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange the soppressata in overlapping layers on the mustard and sprinkle the grated cheese evenly on the soppressata, also avoiding the border. Brush the border with the egg wash.
• Lightly roll the second piece of puff pastry into a 10-inch square. Lay the pastry directly on top of the first square, lining up the edges. Brush the top with the egg wash, cut three large slits for steam to escape, and chill for 15 minutes.
• When the pastry is cold, trim the edges with a very sharp knife to make a clean edge. Bake the pastry in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once while baking, until puffed and brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, cut in squares, and serve hot or warm.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S PERFECT PIE CRUST

Steps:

• Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture.
• Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix.
• Add the butter and shortening.
• Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.
• With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball.
• Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half.
• Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board.
• Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan.
• Repeat with the top crust.
• **Ina Garten prefers to use Crisco shortening, that has been stored in the refrigerator.
• ***Cook time does not include 30 minute refrigeration time.

SPINACH IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the butter in a saute pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Meanwhile, squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a bowl. Add the onion mixture, scallions, Gruyere, Parmesan, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and pignolis. Mix well.
• Unfold one sheet of puff pastry and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the spinach mixture in the middle of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash. Roll out the second piece of puff pastry on a floured board until it's an inch larger in each direction. Place the second sheet of pastry over the spinach and seal the edges, crimping them with a fork. Brush the top with egg wash but don't let it drip down the sides or the pastry won't rise. Make three small slits in the pastry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pastry is lightly browned. Transfer to a cutting board and serve hot.

SOPPRESSATA AND CHEESE IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.
• Lay one sheet of pastry on a floured board and roll into a 10 inch square. Place on a sheet pan and brush with the mustard, leaving a 1 inch border. Arrange soppressata in overlapping layers on the mustard and sprinkle with cheese, also avoiding the border. Brush border with egg wash.
• Lightly roll second piece of pastry into a 10 inch square. Lay directly on top of first square, lining up the edges. Brush top with egg wash and cut 3 large slit for steam to escape. Chill for 15 minutes.
• When pastry is cold trim edges with a sharp knife to make a clean edge. Bake in center of oven for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating once while baking, ubtil puffed and brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting into serving sizes.

CHELSEA CHRISTMAS BUNS

Steps:

• Do-ahead steps: Defrost the puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator and leave in the refrigerator until ready to roll out. If you leave it on the counter while you assemble everything they get too soft and will be difficult to work with. Preheat oven to 400°.
• With a hand mixer or stand mixer cream together and place one rounded tablespoon of mixture in to each muffin cup. Sprinkle ½ cup of the chopped pecans evenly over the sugar butter mix: 7 TBS of butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar and ½ t vanilla extract
• With a fork combine remaining brown sugar and the spices. Divide mixture in half: one half for one puff pastry sheet, and one for the second: 2/3 c brown sugar, 3 t cinnamon, ½ t nutmeg, ¼ t salt.
• Tear off a sheet of plastic wrap larger than the puff pastry sheet and place on a wooden board. Lightly flour the area and unfold one sheet of the defrosted puff pastry with the folds going left to right. With a pastry brush, paint the sheet with melted butter, reserving ½ for the second sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar/spice mixture over the puff pastry and then top with ½ cup of chopped pecans. Starting with the end closest to you, roll snugly, just like a jelly roll ending with seam side down. Slice in to six equal pieces. Each piece is about 1 ½ inches wide. Place each piece spiral side up in the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 Chelsea Christmas Buns.
• Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Cool for just five minutes before turning out on to a foil or parchment paper lined sheet pan.
• Optional spice ideas: cardamom, ginger, allspice.
• Optional dried fruit ideas: cranberries, cherries, raisins, golden raisins, apricots, currants, dates.

EASY CHEESE DANISH (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!
• Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.
• Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.