Puff Pasty Surprise Food

PUFF PASTRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with nonstick cooking spray.;
• Sprinkle the cutting board with flour. Roll-out the creases.;
• Unfold the pastry onto parchment paper. Using a fork, pierce a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the puff pastry. Prick the center of the pastry as well, about 10 times all over.
• Arrange the fruit, nuts, and cheese on top of the pastry in a uniform manner, avoiding the border. Brush the fruit with the melted butter and top with the cinnamon and sugar. Bake 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and beginning to puff.
• If desired, brush the honey over the fruit and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Puff Pastry Variations:
• Apricot Plum Tart: Cut 2 plums and apricots into 1/4-inch thick slices. Arrange on top of puff pastry and brush with melted apricot preserves rather than honey.
• Rhubarb Tart: Thinly slice 8-ounces rhubarb stalks on the diagonal and marinate in 1 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup sugar for 10 minutes. Strain the rhubarb, reserving the juices. Arrange the rhubarb slices on top of the puff pastry. Sprinkle with white sugar. While the pastry bakes, reduce the rhubarb juices until it becomes a syrupy glaze. When the pastry finishes, brush the pastry with the glaze.
• Pear, Pecan and Blue Cheese Tart: Slice 3 cups Bartlett pears and place on the puff pastry. Top with 1/2 cup chopped pecans. After brushing on the honey, top with 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles.

PUFF PASTY SURPRISE

Steps:

• Mix the cheese and herbs together and set aside.
• On a lightly floured sheet, lay the pasty with the short side closest to you.
• Cut in half crosswise and arrange the long sides closest to you.
• Spread the pepper jelly evenly over both sheets of puff pastry. Don't go all the way to the edges, leave an 1 inch border.
• Arrange the pepperoni, mushrooms and onion in a single layer over the puff pastry.
• Now top with the cheese and herb mixture.
• Brush the farthest edge of each half of pastry with the egg.
• Roll the pastry tightly from the closest edge working towards the egged edge,.
• Lay the puff pastry logs seam side down on sheet and place in the fridge and chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400.
• Remove the logs from the fridge and cut into 1/4 " thick slices and place cut side down, 1" apart on parchment papered sheets.
• Bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Watch to make sure they don't burn.
• Best when served warm.

QUICKEST PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Cut 8 ounces (2 sticks) butter into 1/2 to 1/4-inch dice, place on a plate and refrigerate while preparing remaining ingredients.Measure water and add salt; stir to dissolve and set aside.
• Coarsely dice remaining 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter. Place flour in work bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade; add 4 tablespoons butter and pulse until butter is absorbed -- about ten to twelve 1-second pulses.
• Add remaining butter and pulse once or twice to distribute. Add water and pulse 3 or 4 times, just until dough forms a rough ball. Do not over-process.
• Flour work surface and scrape dough from work bowl. Shape dough into a rough rectangle and place between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Press dough with rolling pin to flatten, then roll back and forth several times with rolling pin to make a 12 by 18 inch rectangle of dough.
• Peel away plastic wrap and invert dough to floured work surface. Peel away second piece of wrap. Fold dough in thirds in the width, folding the top third down and the bottom third up, to make a 6 by 18-inch rectangle, then roll up the dough from one of the 6-inch ends, making sure to roll end under dough. Press the dough into a square, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour, or until firm.

PUFF PASTRY PINWHEEL COOKIES WITH JAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 16x13-inch rectangle. Trim edges neatly, forming 15x12-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle into twenty 3-inch squares. Using small sharp knife, make 1-inch-long diagonal cut in all 4 corners of 1 square, cutting toward center (do not cut through center). To form pinwheels, fold every other point of puff pastry toward center of square, pressing to adhere. Repeat with remaining puff pastry squares.
• Brush pinwheels lightly with egg glaze. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Place scant 1/2 teaspoon jam in center of each. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake until pinwheels are golden and puffed, about 13 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to rack and cool. Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet, glaze, sugar and jam.
• Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar, if desired. (Can be prepared ahead. Place cookies between waxed paper sheets in airtight containers and freeze up to 2 weeks; thaw before packing, or store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days.)