Easy Puff Pastry Treats
These are just a few words that describe puff pastry. It just has a magical way of transforming just about any dish into a gourmet experience. But puff pastry is a labor of love- and making it is not for the faint at heart.
But there's good news!
There are vegan and plant-based options out there that allow us to indulge in this delicious delight without the hassle of making it from scratch-praise the culinary gods!
So whether you're hosting a dinner party, celebrating the holidays, marking a special occasion, or simply treating yourself, here are three effortless and creative ways that you can use puff pastry to elevate any menu.
INGREDIENTS:
For Chocolate Trees
2 Puff Pastry Sheets (vegan-friendly)
6 T chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutiva, Lindt, TBH, Fortnum & Mason)
6 T chocolate chips
1 T liquid vegan egg (Just Egg or sub with 2 tsp. plant milk and 1 tsp. maple syrup)
Powdered sugar (organic or vegan-friendly)
For Berry Rolls
2 Puff Pastry Sheets (vegan-friendly)
(252 g) 2 C frozen mixed berries
60 g (½ C) powdered sugar + more for sprinkling tops (organic or vegan-friendly)
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 T lemon juice (or sub water)
pinch of salt
1 T liquid vegan egg (Just Egg or sub with 2 tsp. plant milk and 1 tsp. maple syrup)
For Mash Potato Pockets
2 Puff Pastry Sheets (vegan-friendly)
1 lb russet potatoes (about 4 regular or 3 jumbo potatoes)
240- 360 g (1- 1 ½ C) plant milk
112 g + 28 g (½ C + 2 T) unsalted plant butter, divided (use salted if that’s all you have)
2-2 ½ tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)
fresh cracked pepper
1 T liquid vegan egg (Just Egg or sub with 2 tsp. plant milk and 1 tsp. butter)
1-2 T finely chopped chives (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400°F
Before starting either recipe, let the puff pastry defrost if frozen. You can leave it out on the counter for 30-40 minutes or place in the refrigerator overnight. * If making mash potato pockets, start thawing around the halfway mark of roasting the potatoes if thawing on the counter *
For Chocolate Trees
Add hazelnut spread to a small bowl and or pot and heat through until melty. About 30-40 seconds in the microwave or 1-2 minutes over low heat on the stove top.
Unfold thawed puff pastry and roll out just a little bit with a rolling pin on to a lightly floured surface.
Use a tree shaped (or any shape you like) cookie cutter and out 6 trees from each sheet for a total of 12 trees.
Spread a tablespoon of the chocolate hazelnut spread onto 6 trees- take care to keep the edges of the trees free from the spread to prevent spillage.
Add a tablespoon of chocolate chips on top of each tree with the spread.
Take the tree free from the spread and chocolate chips and place on top of each tree.
Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges of the two trees together (see video above).
Brush the tops of the trees with the liquid vegan egg or milk and maple syrup mixture.
Place in your preheated oven on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
When done, remove from the oven then let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack to sit for another 5- 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then serve.
Enjoy!
For Berry Rolls
Add frozen berries and sugar to a small saucepan set to medium heat on the cooktop.
Mix the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl until well combined and there are no clumps of starch. Add into the berry mixture along with a pinch of salt and stir through thoroughly.
Let the mixture cook on the stove top until thickened- about 5 minutes.
Once the berries have thickened, remove from the hot pan to cool. If your puff pastry sheets are already defrosted and ready to go, place the berries in the freezer for about 5 minutes to cool before adding to the puff pastry.
Unfold thawed puff pastry and roll out just a little bit with a rolling pin on to a lightly floured surface then divide each sheet into thirds.
Place about 3 tablespoons of the mixture about ¼ of the way up from the bottom edge of each of the divided thirds, then carefully wrap the edge of the pastry over the berries.
Then continue to roll all the way up, making sure the seam is on the bottom when finished.
Gently slice the top of each pastry with a sharp knife to vent, then place on a baking sheet and brush the tops with the liquid egg or milk an maple syrup mixture.
Place the pan in your preheated oven on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
When done, remove from the oven then let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack to sit for another 5- 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then serve.
Enjoy!
For Mash Potato Pockets
My preference is to use a potato ricer for the smoothest mashed potatoes, but feel free to use a handheld masher if you prefer- it won’t be as smooth, but still works pretty good.
Use the tines of a fork to prick each of the potatoes a few times, then place on a baking sheet.
Place the sheet on the middle rack of a preheated oven and bake for 1- 1½ hours (depending on your oven) or until the skin starts to wrinkle, get crisp, and a fork can easily slide into the center of the potato when inserted. * If you are thawing the puff pastry on the counter, set it out at about the 20 minute mark of baking your potatoes so that it will be ready when potatoes are done *
When potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and let them sit to cool for about 2 minutes or until you can touch them without burning yourself.
Slice the potatoes down the center and open them up. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh and place into a large bowl or pot.
If using a ricer, rice the potatoes into a large pot. Otherwise, you can just place the potato flesh in a large pot and use a handheld masher.
In a separate small pot set to medium-high heat, add in your milk, 1 teaspoon of salt, a few cracks of pepper, and ½ cup of butter (1 stick).
Let the milk mixture come to a low bubble (you don’t want it to boil) and give it a good stir to make sure that all the butter is melted.
Pour in the milk mixture a little by little and use a silicone spatula to mix and smooth until you get a smooth, creamy consistency of potato that you like. I usually go for 1 cup of milk for a soft, smooth mash. However if you like it really creamy, you may want to add more of the milk.
Taste your potatoes to check for seasoning (especially if you’re using salted butter) then add more salt and pepper as needed. I usually end up adding a teaspoon more, but that might be too much for some people.
Set the potatoes aside to work on the pastry.
Unfold thawed puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface then divide each sheet into thirds, then in half.
Gently press a round cookie cutter (2 inch) in the middle of each rectangle of puff pastry, then gently press the tines of a fork a few times in the circle (this stops the pastry from puffing up in the center). Place the pastry on a baking sheet.
Use a cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop up the mash potatoes and place in the center in the circle.
Brush the tops of the pastry (around the potatoes)with the liquid egg or milk and butter mixture.
Place the pan in your preheated oven on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
When done, remove from the oven then let cool for 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle with chives if using.
Serve hot.
Enjoy!
You can store any left over mash potatoes in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Don’t just stop with these three variations- there are a thousand ways that you can fill your puff pastry! Try cookie butter, apples, spinach and cheese, mushrooms, or marinara sauce. The options are virtually endless!
Let me know what you fill your pastry with below!
