Puff pastry is a product that we can use in many different ways in the kitchen. You know the phrase
“when there’s will, there’s a way”, right? One of its biggest advantages is that it lasts for long. So, it’s almost
a great idea to store one or two packages in the freezer. Just in case!
In this article we’ll try to convince you that puff pastry is not only easy to use, but it’s also quite
easy to cook. Actually, the chance of you messing things up is rather small. So, let’s get down to work, shall we?!
- Chessy puff pastry with tomatoes and herbs
How tempting does this sound, huh! Well, it’s just that delicious! All it takes is
about 30 minutes of your time.
Products:
2x puff pastry (packages)
3x tomatoes
300g cheese
Thyme
Basil
Savory
3tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
First of all, take the puff pastry out of the fridge/freezer at least 15 minutes before you start using it. Cut it into squares /about 6-7cm/.
Do small 1-centimetre cuts over each side for a more beautiful look.
Just joking! Not only will this make them look prettier, but the pastry’s middle won’t rise when in the oven. We want them flat.
Cube the cheese and place it over each puff pastry square. Here you can use whatever cheese you like: feta, Gouda, camembert, whatever!
Cut the tomatoes into thin slices, salt them and let them soak for a while. You don’t want them to be
too juicy as they’re going to make the dough wet and soggy. Put a tomato slice over each piece of dough, sprinkle with a few EVOO drops and some herbs.
Then bake at 175C° for 25 minutes.
- Croissants
Who would refuse a crunchy, airy croissant after a
long and exhausting day at work!? That’s how you can surprise your family after the evening meal!
Products:
1x puff pastry
1x fruit jam (by choice) or chocolate spread
Nuts
Egg yolk
You can start by flattening out the puff pastry dough a bit. Then add a pinch of flour on top, take a knife and cut into triangles. The size depends only on your personal preferences and how big you want the croissants to be.
In each triangle’s corner put a teaspoon of your fruit jam or chocolate spread. You may add some crushed nuts if you like. Roll carefully and place over a baking parchment. In case you want them to be shinier, you might wanna spread some egg yolk on top of each croissant.
Bake at 180C° for around 15-20 minutes.
TIP: Of course, you can make
salty croissants by replacing the fruit marmalade with cheese, any kind of sausage or whatever you like.
- Homemade puff pastry cheese sticks
This recipe is ideal for those of you who don’t have much time as it won’t take too long to prepare.
Here’s how it goes…
Products:
1x puff pastry
1x egg
1tbsp water
¼ cheese, grated
1tbsp parsley, chopped
½ tsp oregano, dried
Preheat the oven at 200C°.
In the meantime, whisk the egg with water in a small bowl. Then add the cheese and all the herbs. Here you can take graviera, myzithra, feta, parmesan or any other type of cheese. Read more about the different sorts in this article!
Roll out the puff pastry sheets and cut into
long rectangles. Spread the filling all over the place and twist so that you form sticks.
Put them into a large baking tin and bake for 15 minutes or so.
Enjoy!
By the way, if you’re still not so sure how to cook with puff pastry, check out
this article, which might guide you
through the entire process! Tell us what you think in the comments!