Puff Pastry Ideas

16 years ago

Now that Trader Joe's carries a pretty good frozen puff pastry (I made it once from scratch and it took me all day... highly unlikely to do that very often!), I've been keeping it on hand more regularly.

Last night for dessert, I tried to recreate a berry/cream cheese strudel that TJ's used to carry. According to DH, it tasted like it but better.

Here's what I did:

Berry Cream Cheese (not quite) Strudel

1 pkg. cream cheese

1 egg

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 pkg. of frozen mixed berries, with no sugar or syrup (or fresh berries if you have them)

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

Butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw pastry while preparing filling. For the filling, mix together sugar, vanilla, egg, cream cheese until smooth. To assemble, place puff pastry dough on a buttered baking sheet and fold up a small border (maybe 1/2 inch) all around the pastry to contain the filling. Pour filling over puff pastry. Top with layer of frozen berries. Sprinkle with sugar to taste.

Bake until filling is set and edges are golden brown. I didn't keep track, but I'm thinking it was about 20 minutes. This made an open-faced dessert since neither DH or DS like a lot of "crust", but I'm sure it would work well by placing the filling on half of a sheet, then folding over, pinching the edges closed and slitting the top. You'd use less filling, and could probably make 2 strudels.

I like to use puff pastry recipes when entertaining. Easy, yet with a bit of WOW. I love making salmon in puff pastry or cheese straws.

Favorite Puff Pastry recipes to share?

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Comments (21)

Gina_W
16 years ago
I didn't know TJs had puff pastry - thanks for the heads up Ann.

There's this delicious recipe from Oly that we learned at Filo camp:

Chicken Rolls with Avgolemono Sauce

Filling

3 Tbsp butter
2 Â½ cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery

6 cups, cooked, diced chicken
Â¼ cup copped parsley
Â¼ tsp nutmeg
Â¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
Â½ tsp pepper

Avgolemono Sauce

Â½ cup butter
Â½ cup flour
5 cups hot chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 egg yolks, beaten
Â½ cup fresh lemon juice

Phyllo

2 pounds (48 sheets)
1 pound unsalted butter, clarified

Note: The original recipe calls for poaching bone-in chicken breasts in water with onions celery, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper. I cheat, and poach boneless breasts in chicken stock.

Filling: In a skillet, melt butter and sautÃ© onion until soft. Add celery and sautÃ© until
tender.

In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, parsley, nutmeg, cheese, salt and pepper. Add
onions and celery from skillet, and mix well.

Avgolemono sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Cook gently, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Gradually add stock, stirring until sauce thickens and bubbles. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a little sauce to the beaten egg yolks and lemon juice, to temper, then stir the yolk mixture into the sauce. Simmer over low heat a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 Â½ cups sauce to the chicken mixture, mix well. Reserve remaining sauce - it will be used at serving, refrigerate.

Phyllo Preparation: Brush one phyllo sheet with butter, layer second sheet on top and brush with butter. Spread 2 rounded Tbsp of chicken filling at one end of sheets, 3 inches from end and 2 inchs from each side. Fold phyllo up over filling, to form a roll.
Fold side edges in to enclose. Roll up, jelly roll fashion, to end of phyllo sheet. Seal with butter; brush outside with butter. (Rolls can be frozen at this point)

Makes approx. 24 rolls.

Place rolls on baking sheet and bake at 400Â° F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden. Reheat reserved sauce and serve with rolls. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Adapted from: Greek Cooking in an American Kitchen
St. Demetrios Church, Seattle, Washington

Oly

Oops sorry -a correction to the chicken recipe. We put a little more filling in our rolls than the recipe calls for, so you will only get about 15 rolls from this quantity of filling. You'll need less phyllo, about 30 sheets (about 1 lb)

Oly
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jessyf
16 years ago
I second that recipe from Oly but it uses phyllo

Spacific how hysterical I was in TJs today thinking of making a salmon in puff pastry for tomorrow night's dinner. I would use the TJs frozen WILD salmon (I'm not touching farmed anymore), and come up with a dill cream sauce.
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I am going to use the pre-baked puff pastry idea myself in the future. Here is a to-die-for recipe for chicken potpie from Ina Garten. When I made it, I just used a "red box" pie crust (I'm so NOT a baker). I baked the filling as a whole double-crusted pie. Even though I used a deep dish pie plate, I had filling leftover. I froze that. Can't remember if I've used it yet or not - I'll have to go look lol! Ingredients: 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on 3 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade 2 chicken bouillon cubes 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter 2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions) 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups) 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves For the pastry: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken. In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well. For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. seagrass
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Here is my recipe for Spanikopita. Delicious stuff and it freezes beautifully. I always try and have some in the freezer for unexpected company or a treat for the two of us. Just keep the sheets covered and you'll be fine. If it tears a bit don't worry. There are lots of folds to hide it. Sharon's Spanikopita recipe 16 Oz Phyllo Dough Thawed in the fridge For 24 Hours 10 Oz Frozen Spinach Thawed and of all liquid Drained 3/4 Lb Feta Cheese 1/2 Lb Cottage Cheese - About 1 Cup Pressed And Drained 1/4 lb Cream Cheese Softened 3 Eggs 1/4 Cup Fresh Dill Chopped Fine Salt Pepper Nutmeg 3/4 Cup Butter Melted In large bowl combine all ingredients except phylo and butter. Working with one sheet of phylo at a time, brush with melted butter and cut in 5 strips lengthwise. Place 1 spoonful of mixture at the bottom of each strip about 1 inch from the bottom,fold the bottom piece up over the filling and then fold up into~triangles. Fold like you fold a flag, to the left, up , to the right ,up etc. These can be made ahead and frozen for up to three months. When ready to cook: Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm I made these for a Chinese Cook Up last winter, they are very good . They Lose some of their crispiness but still taste great when reheated. Spring Rolls - Rachel Ray Via Woodie 1 Tbl vegetable oil or olive oil 1/2 red bell pepper chopped fine 2 stalks celery from the heart chopped fine 6 water chestnuts chopped fine 1/2 small onion chopped fine 1/4 Cup fresh bean sprouts a handful chopped 2 (6-ounce) cans lump crab meat drained flaked - or - 12 Oz Cooked chicken 2 Tbl dark soy such as Tamari 1/2 Tspdried thyme leaves eyeball it 4 (13 by 17-inch) sheets defrosted phyllo dough 3 Tbl melted butter Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add oil to a preheated skillet over medium to medium high heat. Saute pepper, celery, water chestnuts, onion 2 to 3 minutes. Veggies should still have a little crunch. Transfer to a bowl.Add bean spouts, crab, soy and thyme. Combine well with a spoon. Paint half of a sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter and fold sheet in half. Pile a few spoonfuls of filling 2 inches from the bottom of sheet and leaving 2 inches at either side of sheet. Fold bottom flap up and side edges in, then roll up and over until you reach the top of the sheet. Your pastry will look like a spring roll. Touch the edges and sides of your roll with melted butter and place roll seam side down on a pastry sheet. Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo dough. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden all over.
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I love that look. Rustic charm!
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That sounds really good! Trader Joe's small bag of GF flour is better than others I've tried. It's mostly starch. Egg free gets so much harder, and I totally get the desire for commercial products. They have better ways of producing foods using gums and the like. The commercial GF puff pastry that looks okay has eggs and butter. :( I think by the time you remove the gluten and butter, its not puff even through squinty eyes. You have to have some kind of protein, and I don't think pea protein would work. And the fat globules of vegetable fat probably wouldn't work either. :( I found this blog, but what's in the picture proves she's so far down the rabbit hole, she doesn't know what she's making. OTOH, it looks crisp and flakey and might suit the purpose on the homemade side. There's another one that claims to have made GF vegan profiteroles. Well, I made some savory choux paste puffs last year that looked just the same. They're NOT puffs. They're nasty, dry squatty things. Much better to invent something new with what you have than go to these lengths to make a really bad version. The rice crust I described doesn't have to have egg. That just makes it stick together. You could use chia goo or gum or honey or anything that'll make it stick together enough to get it out of the pan. And from that point of view, something like baklava or spankopita filling could be baked by itself in a glazed baking dish and be scooped out and served on GF/eggF/dairyF water crackers (or gluten free matzah-like squares), or just eaten with a spoon. ;) Or GF toast points. Hm... I wonder what would happen if you toasted GF bread, dampened it, and rolled it out thin then baked it? Moosemac, your zucchini sheets sound interesting. I can definitely see it for something like spanakopita!
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spacific
Original Author
16 years ago
Hey Gina,
I might just try the chicken with the puff pastry anyway. Unless TJ's starts offering phyllo dough...

Jessy,
I've been using creme fraiche in my sauces... maybe for the salmon, use a base of clam juice, white whine, dill. I like the traditional kulebiaki with rice and mushrooms and leeks with the salmon, but I've also made it with TJ's roasted red peppers and goat cheese and salmon wrapped in the pastry. But that's a bit overwhelming for the dill.

A
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Gina_W
16 years ago
Phyllo... puff pastry... Ack!!
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kathleen_li
16 years ago
Monique taught us how to make caged pears. Her's were much prettier than mine, but it got me to try puffed pastry, and they were delicious...

A, How much was the Puff Pastry in TJ's? I wanted to buy some yesterday, but it was 5.29 a box at my store. Is that the usual price?
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jessyf
16 years ago
Kathleen, gee, now you're going to make me go back to TJs tomorrow (grin) to check.
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kathleen_li
16 years ago
Do you have the sales slip?? I was just wondering....if it is cheaper than the super market. I only made it once and dh went to get it for me, so I don't know what he paid. One pkg made about 8 sm pear halves...
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User
16 years ago
I like to use it on the top of chicken pot pie instead of using regular pie crust.

This recipe of Diane's is a regular in my appetizer arsenal.

Palmiers With Honey Mustard And Prosciutto (Craftyrn)

1 sheet puff pastry -- 18 x 11"
3 Tbl honey mustard
4 Ounces prosciutto -- thinly sliced
1 Cup Parmesan cheese -- freshly grated
1 egg
2 Tsp water

Place the puff pastry on a work surface and spread the mustard over the top.

Arrange the prosciutto evenly over the mustard to cover all the pastry, and then sprinkle with the Parmesan. Lightly press the cheese into the prosciutto with a rolling pin. Starting at one long edge, roll up the puff pastry like a jelly roll just to the middle of the dough; then roll up the other side in the same fashion,making two rolls that meet in the center. Using a serrated knife, cut the rolls crosswise into 1/2" slices. Place the slices on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and press lightly with your hands to flatten.Refrigerate for 15 minutes.(Importsant step)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.~

Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl. Brush the top of each palmier with the egg wash. Bake until puffed and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Servings: 20
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jessyf
16 years ago
Trader Joes 'Artisan' (hah) puff pastry $5/lb box
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kathleen_li
16 years ago
Thank you Jessy! Better than making it, takes too long!
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dixiedog_2007
16 years ago
I buy it now too since it is so readily available.

Beef Wellington is an oldy but goody in my opinion. I also like Salmon in pastry.
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jessyf
16 years ago
Ack the TJs puff pastry has butter (the Peppridge Farm does not use dairy and is 'vegan')

Thats a good thing for some people, but not when I'm trying to do the kosher separation of meat and dairy

oh well I'll go to Jewish h3ll for this (keeping my eye on the skies for them lightning bolts)
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spacific
Original Author
16 years ago
Hey Jessy, you got to TJ's before me. I'm trying to keep to a routine of grocery shopping only once a week. So I haven't been back. So since the pastry is made with butter, does that mean you'll just need to make more desserts instead? Sounds like a fair trade!

Kathleen, those pears look really lovely. Is the dough just over the top or all around? Are the pears poached first? A few details please.

Dixiedog, I was thinking about doing a pork tenderloin wellington-style. Thanks for reminding me to look up the recipe as a starting base.
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canarybird01
16 years ago
This one calls for phyllo pastry but I don't see why you couldn't use puff pastry instead.

Apple, Raisin & Quark Tart

Recipe as recounted to me by Resi, the owner of our favourite neighbourhood Austrian restaurant.
This is how she makes it and I took the photo as she served it to us.

1 pkg frozen phyllo pastry
1 egg
1 or more apples - peeled and diced
sugar to taste - guess I'd start off with 1/3 cup ?
- here the quark we buy comes in 250 gram tubs so that would be 500 grams or just over 1 lb total.
raisins - a handful
1 egg beaten with a little milk for brushing on top

1. Open out a square/rectangle of the defrosted pastry
2. Beat together 1 egg, quark and sugar. Spread it over the pastry.
3. Sprinkle with chopped apple and raisins to your taste.
4. Fold over one side of pastry to close and press edges with fork to seal.
5. Brush with the 2nd beaten egg & milk mixture
6. Bake 350F (180C) about 20 minutes or until top is browned.
7. Slice the same as a strudel.
*********************************************

SharonCb
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kathleen_li
16 years ago
A, you poach the pears in sugar water, and fill them if you like, I didn't.
Cut a shape of the pear for the bottom. Brush with preserves, then the pear sprinkled with sugar and cinn, or you can brush with preserves.
You have to have a tool to make the lattice. It is a roller and it cuts the pastry. Some people found them in stores, I had to mail order mine.
I will look for the exact recipe for you.
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pat_t
16 years ago
Can't remember who posted this, but I tried them (I left out the caraway seeds because I don't like them). They are really good.

ONION BRIE PALMIERS

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 Tblsp. butter or margarine
2 Tblsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 oz. Brie or Camembert, rind removed, softened
1 to 2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 egg
2 tsp. water

In a large skillet, cook the onions, butter, brown sugar, and vinegar over medium-low heat until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove with a slotted spoon; cool to room temperature. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into an 11- x 8-inch rectangle. Spread Brie over pastry. Cover with the onions; sprinkle with caraway seeds. Roll up one long side to the middle of the dough; roll up the other side so the two rolls meet in the center. Using a serrated knife, cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, beat egg and water; brush over slices. Bake at 375Â° F. for 12 to 14 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Another we really liked:

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKES IN PUFF PASTRY

1 (10-ounce) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry

Drain spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels. Stir together spinach, artichoke hearts, and next 5 ingredients.
Thaw puff pastry at room temperature 30 minutes. Unfold pastry, and place on a lightly floured surface or heavy-duty plastic wrap. Spread one-fourth spinach mixture evenly over pastry sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll up pastry, jellyroll fashion, pressing to seal seam; wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap. Repeat procedure with remaining pastry and spinach mixture. Freeze 30 minutes; cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. (Rolls may be frozen up to 3 months.)
Bake at 400Â° F. for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 4 dozen.

Source: Southern Living, Top-Rated Recipe, November 2000".
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Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
16 years ago
I had to google Quark as I have never heard of it before but now I wish we had it in the US. It sounds good!
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ritaotay
16 years ago
Quick Napoleons

Cut puff pastry into small rectangles ( 2 X 3 or so ), bake till nicely browned.

Make some vanilla pudding and a thin chocolate frosting.

Split the baked pastry into two halves.

Place some cooled pudding on the bottom half of the pastry, cover with the other half and drizzle some frosting on top, refrigerate for a few hours and eat.

Rita
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petra_il
16 years ago
bumblebeez (and others), sometimes you can buy 'quark' under the name of farmers cheese ... just be careful, I've seen too kinds of things called farmer cheese. one is a regular cheese like e.g. monterey jack or what ever, another one (the quark type) is sold in containers and looks more like cottage cheese with a little different consistency. I bought one last week, made by Lifeway, it was at the store's organic/healthy section. also, if you live in larger cities, check your polish stores, you should find some.
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kathleen_li
16 years ago
Here you go..

Here is a link that might be useful: Caged Pears
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User
16 years ago
Sharon I had made that recipe a long time ago, when you first posted it. We loved it! Thanks for reminding me.
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Puff Pastry Ideas

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