PASTRIES have higher fat content compared to bread, which gives them their iconic flaky and crumbly texture. A good pastry is light, airy and buttery, but firm enough to support the weight of the filling.
While insanely delicious, puff pastry is also one of the most finicky and labour-intensive things that you can make from scratch in the kitchen, which includes using lots of butter and lots of dough folding.
And if you’re trying to make pastry from scratch in our typical Malaysian weather without AC in the kitchen, you’ll just end up with a melted mess.
This is where frozen puff pastry sheets come in! With frozen pastry sheets, you skip to the good part, and you can customise your pastry based on your mood.
When working with frozen puff pastry, it needs to be thawed before you can do anything with it. Remove the number of sheets you need from the packet while still frozen with the help of a knife and tightly repackage leftover pastry to avoid freezer burn and return to the freezer.
Lay out the frozen puff pastry with the plastic film side down for 8-10 minutes until they are just pliable enough to work with. They should still be cold to the touch.
You can also thaw the pastry overnight in the fridge on trays covered with a tea towel. If the pastry gets too warm and soft to handle easily, place in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up the dough again. Always cut with a clean, sharp motion and avoid dragging the knife or twisting with cutters, as this will affect the layers and can stop the pastry from puffing up properly.
The best part about puff pastry is how easy it is to create impressive-looking dishes that look way more difficult than they actually are, so here are four ways you can spice up your feast spread.
Chicken mushroom ramekin pie
An easy warm pie recipe topped with a tasty flaky puff pastry. For the shredded chicken, you can use a roasted chicken or any leftover chicken from last night’s dinner party. It’s perfect to serve on a rainy night along with creamy mashed potatoes or freshly cooked peas and broccoli.
INGREDIENTS
-> 1 tablespoon olive oil
-> 1 medium leek, white part only, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
-> 3 cloves garlic, crushed
-> 1 medium red capsicum, diced
-> 4 cups shredded chicken
-> 450g canned chicken mushroom sauce/soup
-> 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
-> 4 sheets puff pastry, thawed and cut into rounds to fit over the ramekins
-> 1 egg, lightly beaten
-> Sesame seeds, to sprinkle
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 200°C and grease 4 ramekins.
2. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat and fry the leek until softened.
3. Add garlic and fry for 1 minute, then add capsicum. Fry for another minute or until soft.
4. Stir in the chicken and cook until warmed through.
5. Stir in the sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the spinach.
7. Divide the sauce evenly between the greased ramekins and cut a small slit on the puff pastry before topping the ramekins with rounds of pastry.
8. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds before baking for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden.
Brie and chutney puffs
These sweet and cheesy puffs are lovely additions to dinner parties. The natural creaminess of brie cheese meld with chutney is a real crowd-pleaser.
INGREDIENTS
-> Puff pastry sheets, thawed
-> 120g fruit chutney
-> 200g brie, chilled and cut into 12 equal wedges
-> Fresh rosemary sprigs
-> Ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 220°C and grease a 12-hole muffin tray with cooking spray or oil.
2. Cut the pastry sheet into 12 even squares slightly bigger than each muffin hole and push into greased muffin holes
3. Spoon 1 tsp of fruit chutney into the base of each pastry and top with a wedge of cold cheese.
4. Place rosemary sprigs on top and season with black pepper.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp.
6. Remove from tin and cool slightly. Top with extra fruit chutney and serve warm.
Apple turnovers
These easy apple turnovers can be eaten warm with cream or ice cream, or at room temperature as an afternoon treat. If you like, you can also try using pear instead of apple, or a mix of both to jazz it up.
INGREDIENTS
-> 30g unsalted butter
-> 3 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped in small dice
-> 2 tbsp lemon juice and zest of the lemon
-> 2 tbsp sultanas
-> Puff pastry sheets, thawed
-> 75g brown sugar
-> 1 egg yolk
-> 1 tbsp milk
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat.
3. Once the butter has melted, add the apple, sultanas, and lemon.
4. Stir gently for 5 minutes or until the apples have softened and set aside.
5. Place 1 tbsp of the apple into the middle of each puff pastry square and sprinkle with 1 tsp of sugar.
6. Brush the edges lightly with water, fold one corner over to the opposite corner, and press the edges together to make a triangle.
7. Transfer onto the lined tray, and make small cuts in each turnover to allow steam to escape.
8. Mix the egg yolk and milk together, and brush over the pastry using a pastry brush.
9. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar and place into the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed, golden and crisp.
10. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Egg and ham breakfast pastry
-> Puff pastry sheets, thawed
-> 4 eggs plus one egg for egg wash
-> ½ cup sour cream
-> 1 cup kale firmly packed, ribs removed, chopped and oiled
-> 2 slices deli ham diced
-> 2-3 tablespoons sliced scallions
-> ½ cup finely shredded cheese
-> Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 210°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prick the pastry sheets all over with a fork to let steam escape.
3. Dollop some sour cream, kale, ham, scallions on each square.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Take it out after 10 minutes, your pastry is now half baked and puffed up a little. The pastry has now puffed into a bowl-like shape, so crack an egg on each square and top with the cheese.
6. Put them back into the oven and bake for another 10-12 minutes depending on how you like your eggs. (10 more for a slightly runny yolk)
7.Season with a little salt and pepper and you’re done!
