I always have puff pastry sheets in my freezer. They are my ‘go to’ for whipping up a quick sweet or making the most of leftovers.
In no time at all I can make a fruit tart, mille feuille or little palmiers to serve with coffee. Also, the remnants of last night’s dinner can be artfully enclosed in pastry for a crisp pie, pastie or savoury turnover served piping hot from the oven (and no one will even think it’s leftovers!).
I favour butter puff pastry and, although it is more expensive, the flavour and flakiness is worth it.
It’s best to take out whatever you need from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the fridge for 15 minutes as this stops the pastry from sweating, but, I do confess that sometimes I let it thaw on the bench for 5 minutes if I’m in a hurry.
Be sure to prick the pastry if you want it to lay flat and if any of it lifts during the baking, prick it again to deflate it.
For a crisp, layered puff pastry base, I layer two sheets together and bake with another baking sheet on top to weight the pastry and keep it flat for half the cooking time. Then remove so it becomes golden.
Below is a recipe for my favourite 2-ingredient sweet pastry that is as easy as pie to make!
Enjoy,
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Chocolate Hazelnut Crescents
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