Majida Rashid
Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.
— Saadi Shirazi
Indeed, it’s the patience one needs for making puff pastry. The method is not arduous, but the length of time required can test one’s patience. When chef Frank, of the five-star pastry section of The Diplomat Hotel, taught me to make the puff pastry my thoughts were, “When will the day end so I can escape?” But after making puff pastry once, the results compelled me to make it even at home.
Making the dough was easy. Only a little butter is used for the dough. But incorporating the remaining butter in the dough was challenging. Full puff pastry uses equal amount of butter and flour in weight. The ratio of butter, for three-quarter and half pastry, changes to 75 percent and 50 percent butter, respectively.
At the Diplomat Hotel, we made the dough first thing in the morning and chilled it for over an hour. Next, we took out the dough, rolled it into a big rectangle, put some of the butter on half of the rectangle, and folded the butter-less half over it. Then using short strokes the dough was rolled forward on all sides. This was repeated again and the dough was chilled for another hour or so. The process was repeated several times. It took many hours to have ready-to-use pastry. Another caveat for making this pastry is that everything, including the rolling pin, has to be thoroughly chilled.
But for the following delights, I took a short cut and bought a packet of frozen puff pastry sheets! They can accompany tea or coffee.
The day before cooking, refrigerate the frozen pastry overnight. While grated cheddar cheese is available, I prefer to grate mine. Only coriander leaves should be used to impart a delicate flavor. To loosen the stiffness of the parchment paper, scramble it in hands.
Cheese Twists
(Serves 3-4)
Yields 12- 14 pieces.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, optional
1 Jalapeño pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed coriander leaves
1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, thinly shredded
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven at 360º F.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Dry roast the cumin seeds and transfer them into a bowl.
Roughly crush them with the back of a wooden spoon.
Carefully cut away the outer green of the Jalapeño into thin strips. Score each strip lengthwise into small thin strips and chop them finely.
Some of the seeds can also be chopped and added, if so desired.
Finely chop the coriander leaves.
Mix together the cheese, the cumin and chopped greens.
Lightly dust a clean counter with all-purpose flour.
Place the pastry sheet and roll it out into a thin sheet.
Halve the sheet.
Sprinkle cheese mixture on top of the one half.
Brush all sides of the pastry sheet with the egg.
Cover it with the remaining half of the sheet and press the sides together.
Egg wash the top of the pastry.
Cut into thin strips and gently twist each strip.
Place them on the parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Increase the heat to 400 ºF and bake for further 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Transfer onto an oblong serving platter.
Serve immediately.
Cinnamon Strips
(Serves 3-4)
Yields 12- 14 Twists.
Ingredients
10 cardamom seeds, optional
1 sheet of puff pastry at room temperature.
Slightly less than 1/2 cup fine sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven at 400ºF.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Grind the cardamoms.
Lightly dust the counter with all-purpose flour.
Place the pastry sheet and roll it out to a thin sheet.
Halve the sheet.
Spread the butter on one of the sheets.
Reserve two tablespoons of sugar-cinnamon mixture and sprinkle the remaining on the buttered sheet
Brush the sides with the egg.
Place the other half on the top and press the sides together.
Brush the top with the egg.
Sprinkle with the reserved sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Cut into equal strips.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Transfer onto an oblong serving dish and serve immediately.
— Saadi Shirazi
Indeed, it’s the patience one needs for making puff pastry. The method is not arduous, but the length of time required can test one’s patience. When chef Frank, of the five-star pastry section of The Diplomat Hotel, taught me to make the puff pastry my thoughts were, “When will the day end so I can escape?” But after making puff pastry once, the results compelled me to make it even at home.
Making the dough was easy. Only a little butter is used for the dough. But incorporating the remaining butter in the dough was challenging. Full puff pastry uses equal amount of butter and flour in weight. The ratio of butter, for three-quarter and half pastry, changes to 75 percent and 50 percent butter, respectively.
At the Diplomat Hotel, we made the dough first thing in the morning and chilled it for over an hour. Next, we took out the dough, rolled it into a big rectangle, put some of the butter on half of the rectangle, and folded the butter-less half over it. Then using short strokes the dough was rolled forward on all sides. This was repeated again and the dough was chilled for another hour or so. The process was repeated several times. It took many hours to have ready-to-use pastry. Another caveat for making this pastry is that everything, including the rolling pin, has to be thoroughly chilled.
But for the following delights, I took a short cut and bought a packet of frozen puff pastry sheets! They can accompany tea or coffee.
The day before cooking, refrigerate the frozen pastry overnight. While grated cheddar cheese is available, I prefer to grate mine. Only coriander leaves should be used to impart a delicate flavor. To loosen the stiffness of the parchment paper, scramble it in hands.
Cheese Twists
(Serves 3-4)
Yields 12- 14 pieces.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, optional
1 Jalapeño pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed coriander leaves
1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, thinly shredded
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven at 360º F.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Dry roast the cumin seeds and transfer them into a bowl.
Roughly crush them with the back of a wooden spoon.
Carefully cut away the outer green of the Jalapeño into thin strips. Score each strip lengthwise into small thin strips and chop them finely.
Some of the seeds can also be chopped and added, if so desired.
Finely chop the coriander leaves.
Mix together the cheese, the cumin and chopped greens.
Lightly dust a clean counter with all-purpose flour.
Place the pastry sheet and roll it out into a thin sheet.
Halve the sheet.
Sprinkle cheese mixture on top of the one half.
Brush all sides of the pastry sheet with the egg.
Cover it with the remaining half of the sheet and press the sides together.
Egg wash the top of the pastry.
Cut into thin strips and gently twist each strip.
Place them on the parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Increase the heat to 400 ºF and bake for further 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Transfer onto an oblong serving platter.
Serve immediately.
Cinnamon Strips
(Serves 3-4)
Yields 12- 14 Twists.
Ingredients
10 cardamom seeds, optional
1 sheet of puff pastry at room temperature.
Slightly less than 1/2 cup fine sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven at 400ºF.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Grind the cardamoms.
Lightly dust the counter with all-purpose flour.
Place the pastry sheet and roll it out to a thin sheet.
Halve the sheet.
Spread the butter on one of the sheets.
Reserve two tablespoons of sugar-cinnamon mixture and sprinkle the remaining on the buttered sheet
Brush the sides with the egg.
Place the other half on the top and press the sides together.
Brush the top with the egg.
Sprinkle with the reserved sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Cut into equal strips.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Transfer onto an oblong serving dish and serve immediately.
