Quick Puff Pastry For Fig And Raspberry Croustades Recipes

Steps:

• Make the Croustades: Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; lightly flour dough. Using a rolling pin, press the dough firmly in parallel strokes close to one another. Continue pressing with rolling pin, adding a pinch of flour to dough between strokes, until dough becomes more malleable.
• Continue rolling dough back and forth without rolling over the ends (which may make ends thinner and stick to surface). Turn dough 90 degrees, and continue rolling in the other direction; roll dough, changing directions as necessary, into a 15 1/2-inch square. Carefully transfer dough to a large baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap; transfer to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Using a sharp pizza wheel, trim edges of dough and cut into nine 5-inch squares. Fold each square of dough, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Using the pizza wheel, make a cut over the fold on both sides about 1/2 inch from the edge of the triangle.
• Unfold triangles back into squares. Pierce the inner squares at 1/2-inch intervals using the tines of a fork. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and salt; brush inner squares lightly with egg mixture.
• Fold the outer corners of each square over to the opposite inside corners, one at a time.
• Using a floured fingertip, press the borders down and indent the sides of each croustade at 1/4-inch intervals with the dull side of a paring knife. Place croustades on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, or cover and chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in the center of the oven. Bake croustades until well risen and deep golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove croustades from baking sheet and remove some of the puff pastry layers from the center by loosening the sides of the inner squares with a fork and lifting out, also removing any unbaked dough in the process. If you would like to use the removed layers as covers for the filling, return them to baking sheets along with the croustades; return to oven until centers have cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the Creme Anglaise: In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil over low heat. Meanwhile, set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl; set medium bowl in a larger bowl prepared with an ice-water bath. Whisk yolks in another medium bowl.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove vanilla bean, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick from boiling milk mixture; discard. Whisk 1/3 of the milk mixture into the bowl with egg yolks. Return remaining milk mixture to a boil and, while whisking, gradually add egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly, about 15 seconds.
• Remove from heat and pour through strainer set over prepared bowl. Continue whisking mixture until it cools slightly, about 30 seconds. Let stand until completely cooled. Transfer creme anglaise to an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to use. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
• Make the Fig and Raspberry Filling: Stem, peel, and chop figs, reserving 5 whole figs to finish croustades, and place them in a large bowl. Add raspberries, reserving 18 to finish croustades. Cover and set aside at room temperature. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
• Heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Let jam reduce slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool for at least 15 minutes.
• Fold the cooled jam into the fig and raspberry mixture. Place croustades on individual plates. Spoon the mixture into the center of each croustade. Halve remaining figs; top each croustade with a fig half, cut side up, and reserved raspberries. Spoon some of the creme anglaise onto the plate and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Cut 1 cup (2 sticks) butter into 1/4-inch cubes. Place in an even layer on a plate and transfer to refrigerator to chill.
• Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut remaining 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter into thin slices and add to bowl. Rub in the butter, squeezing it with your fingertips, rubbing the butter and flour mixture between the palms of your hands and reaching down to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat process until flour and butter are evenly mixed; this should only take a couple of minutes and the mixture should remain cool and powdery. Alternatively, pulse flour, salt, and 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter in the bowl of a food processor until no visible pieces of butter remain; transfer to a large bowl.
• Add chilled butter cubes to bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold them into flour mixture.
• Reserving 2 tablespoons of the cold water, pour remaining water into bowl. Using a spatula, fold water into flour mixture, scraping from the bottom of the bowl upward. If the mixture still has a lot of dry, unmoistened flour, add reserved water, 1 tablespoon at a time, repeating folding process.
• Scrape dough from bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour dough and, using your hands, squeeze and shape dough into a cylinder. Press down to flatten into a rectangle.
• Starting at the narrow end furthest away from you, use a rolling pin to press the dough firmly in parallel strokes close to one another. If there are sticky pieces of butter on the surface, cover with a large pinch of flour and press with the rolling pin to combine. Clean off the rolling pin as you go to make sure nothing sticks to the dough. Continue pressing with the rolling pin, working toward the narrow end closest to you.
• Press the dough once along the width; it should now be a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Flour under and on top of the dough and roll dough away and back toward you in the length and once in the width, without rolling over the ends, to make a rectangle about 18 inches long and 8 inches wide.
• Fold the two 8-inch ends in toward the middle of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch space in the middle. Fold the bottom up to the top to form 4 layers of dough. Turn the dough so that the folded edge, which should resemble the spine on a book, is on your left.
• Repeat rolling and folding process (steps 6, 7, and 8) two more times. Wrap dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 3 days, before using.

Steps:

• Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add sour cream and pulse until mixture holds together when pinched. Knead dough on a work surface to bring together, then flatten into an 8-by-6-inch rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half of mixture evenly on work surface. Let dough stand at room temperature until pliable. Cut in half; place one half of dough on sugared surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll into a 14-inch square. Spread half of jam onto dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border all around. Starting from one side, tightly roll dough toward center, incorporating sugar. Repeat, rolling other side to meet first roll in middle. Freeze 15 minutes.
• With a serrated knife, cut dough crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. (Refrigerate dough as needed if it gets too soft to slice.) Arrange slices 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Bake 10 minutes. Carefully flip palmiers with an offset spatula and bake until golden, about 6 minutes more. Let cool on sheets 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Repeat with remaining sugar mixture and dough. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container, between sheets of waxed paper, up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Mound flour in center of a large work surface, and make a well in the middle; place butter and salt in well.
• Using your fingertips, mix ingredients together in the well. Using the fingertips of your other hand, slowly incorporate flour, beginning with inner rim of well. When cubes of butter have become small pieces and dough is grainy, gradually add ice water until fully incorporated, taking care not to overwork the dough. Roll dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough into a 16-by-8-inch rectangle. Fold the short ends over the middle (like a letter) to make three layers. This is called the first turn.
• Give the dough a quarter turn and roll away from you into another 16-by-8-inch rectangle. Fold again into 3 layers; this is called the second turn. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Repeat process in steps 3 and 4 to create the third and fourth turns. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 3 days, before using. Dough may also be kept, frozen, for up to 4 months.

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Put the butter and flour in a food processor with 1/4 tsp salt and blend until the mixture resembles damp breadcrumbs. Or do this by rubbing the butter and flour together in a big bowl with your fingertips. Add the sugar and briefly whizz again or stir to combine.
• Whisk the egg yolk with 2 tbsp cold water, and drizzle over the flour mixture. Use the pulse button to blend the mixture once more, keep going until it starts to form larger clumps. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more water a tsp or 2 at a time, but no more than 3 tsp in total.
• Tip out onto a work surface and briefly knead the dough to bring it together into a smooth ball. Avoid overworking or it will become tough. Flatten the dough into a puck shape and wrap well in cling film. Chill for at least 30 mins, or for up to 2 days, or freeze for 2 months.
• Next, make the filling. Put the figs, raspberries, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl and gently toss together, being careful not to break up the raspberries, until the fruit is well coated. Put the cardamom in a mortar and crack the pods with a pestle. Remove the seeds from their pods and place them back in the mortar, discarding the pods. Crush the seeds then add to the fruit, along with the rosewater. Set aside for 15 mins.
• Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into 2 pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Re-wrap the smaller piece and set aside. Divide the larger piece of dough into the number of pies you'd like to make, or leave whole for a large one. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness of a 50p piece, or until large enough to line the base of your pie plate or tin, with a little pastry overhanging. Roll the dough over your rolling pin, lift into your plate or tins, and press it well into the corners. Scatter the polenta or almonds over and spoon in the filling. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf.
• To create a stamped design for the top of the pie, roll out the pastry on a well-floured sheet of baking parchment . Use a small biscuit cutter to stamp out shapes (we've used a heart cutter, but circles, diamonds or flower shapes look pretty too). Brush the pie edge with egg, then slide the pastry lid on top. Trim the edge with scissors and squeeze the pastry edge around the top of your index finger, using your thumb and the other index finger. Work your way along the pastry edge to give a professionally fluted finish. Once covered, whisk the reserved egg white and brush over the pastry. Scatter with a little extra sugar, then place the pie on the baking sheet and bake for 45 mins for a large pie, 35-40 mins for medium pies or 25-30 mins for mini pies, until the pastry is golden and crisp and the juices are bubbling. Cool for 10 mins before serving with cream, crème fraîche, natural yogurt or soured cream.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin. Make the crumble topping by rubbing the flour and butter together with your fingertips until you have a crumbly mixture. Stir in the sugar.
• For the cake, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Sift the flour and add the almonds and baking powder. Fold in 1 large tbsp of the flour mixture into the batter, then add the rest, alternating with the yogurt.
• Snip the stalks off the figs. Halve four of them and chop the rest. Stir the chopped figs and one-third of the raspberries into the batter, then scrape into the prepared tin. Lay the halved figs on top and sprinkle on half the remaining raspberries. Scatter on the crumble, then the rest of the raspberries, then the flaked almonds.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hr 15 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean (check it after 1 hr). Leave in the tin for about 15 mins, then run a palette knife around the outside of the cake, carefully unclasp the surround, remove the base and the parchment, and slide the cake onto a serving plate. Serve with crème fraîche.

Steps:

• Weigh the flour accurately. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add 1/2 cup flour. Mix until smooth. Scrape this dough into a flat square about 1 inch thick. The square should measure about 5 inches by 5 inches. Wrap well in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine remaining flour with the salt. Gradually add the cream and mix until a rough dough is formed; it should not be sticky. Do not overmix. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 12 inches by 7 inches, wrap in plastic, and chill, at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured work surface. Place the butter square at the bottom edge of the rectangle, and fold the flour dough over to completely encase the butter, sealing the edges by pinching them together and forming tight hospital corners at the edges. Wrap well in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured board, gently pound the dough all over in regular intervals with a rolling pin. Working in only one direction (lengthwise), gently roll the dough into a 20-by-9-inch rectangle, squaring corners with a bench scraper and your hands as you go. Using a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour. With a short side facing you, fold the rectangle in thirds like a business letter, aligning the edges carefully and keeping each edge square. Turn the dough a quarter-turn clockwise, so the flap opening faces right, like a book. This completes the first turn. Pound across the dough, again in regular intervals, and roll out again to a 20-by-9-inch rectangle, rolling in the same lengthwise direction. Fold dough again into thirds. This completes the second turn. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.
• Repeat the rolling, turning, and chilling process for a total of six turns; always start each turn with the opening of the dough to the right, and always make your tri-fold in the same manner, that is, by starting from either the top of the dough or the bottom each time. By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Use as little flour as possible for the rolling, and brush off any excess before folding the dough. If the dough becomes too elastic or too warm to work with, return it to the refrigerator until firm.
• Wrap the finished dough in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use, at least 2 hours after your final turn, or freeze for future use.

Steps:

• Prepare the Puff Pastry.
• Sprinkle work surface with the sugar. Place the puff pastry on top and roll to a rectangle 8 by 26 inches and approximately 1/8 inch thick, continually sprinkling with additional sugar to prevent the dough from sticking.
• Working quickly but gently, roll each long end to the center of the pastry, making sure to roll tightly and evenly. Freeze rolled log for 20 minutes, until very firm but not frozen. Slice crosswise into 3/8-inch slices. Roll over each palmier with a rolling pin to lightly flatten, and sprinkle the center of each with more sugar. Place palmiers 2 inches apart on water-sprayed baking sheets. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake palmiers 4 to 6 minutes, until golden on the underside. Flip with a spatula, pressing down to flatten if palmiers seem to be unrolling. Bake 2 to 4 minutes more, watching carefully, until golden and crisp. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.