What do to with extra berries and heavy cream screaming to be used? Berry Drop Scones, of course. I made a recipe using the extra blueberries and being a raspberry-a-holic I made another recipe with some freshly acquired raspberries.
This is my go -to recipe for any variety of berry scones. (These are my favorites.) They are also great to freeze and when the urge hits, thaw on the top of a toaster.
Berry Drop Scones
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups (312g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup (67g) sugar
Zest of 1 small lemon (or orange or lime)
½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
150-175g berries. Use any berries that you like.
1 cup heavy cream + extra if required
Coarse or turbinado sugar for topping
Makes about a dozen 3” scones
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and zest. Pulse a few times to incorporate.
Add the cubed butter and pulse to incorporate. The mixture should resemble very coarse sand.
Empty the flour mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the cream and stir until just barely incorporated. Add additional cream by the tablespoon to help the dough come together
Gently fold in the berries. (It’s fine if the raspberries or blackberries break up a little – it adds a nice pink stain to the dough.) The dough should just be moist, not wet, but also not crumbly or powdery looking. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water.
Spoon the dough into 12 equally sized pieces on the parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle some coarse or turbinado sugar over the top, if desired.
Bake for 16-19 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The scones should be lightly golden and cooked through. I rotate the pan after 10 minutes
Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes then carefully remove to a cooling rack.
I had the occasion to provide some desserts for an event last week. I chose Sally’s apple hand pies with salted caramel and mini blueberry amuse-bouche cheesecakes. Both were delicious. The cheesecake is an amalgamation of several other bakes I previously made, so I think I can now safely say “adapted” from Sally’s.
Apple Hand Pie – Sally
INGREDIENTS • Homemade Pie Crust (makes 2 crusts, use both) • 300g (3 medium apples, 2 ½ c) peeled and diced into small bite-size pieces • 70g (⅓ c) granulated sugar • 28g (2 Tbl) unsalted butter • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg • 1/4 tsp ground allspice • egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk • homemade salted caramel for topping
METHOD Preliminary note:
You can shape the hand pies whatever shape you want. I use a 3”round cookie cutter for the bottom crust and a 3 ½ “ for the top. The larger top crusts allows more filling for each pie.
The crust:
Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5. The dough must chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
The filling:
Combine the diced apples, granulated sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together in a medium saucepan or skillet over low-medium heat. While occasionally stirring, bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pie dough: On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls. At any sign of sticking, sprinkle some flour underneath then keep rolling. Roll out until it’s about 1/8” thick. Using your cookie cutter, cut into circles and put the circles into the refrigerator. Form a ball with the scraps and roll out into a thin sheet and put into the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Then roll the chilled dough into a 1/8” thin sheet and cut into circles. Place cut circles in the refrigerator to keep cold. The colder the shaped dough, the easier it is to work with. Repeat with 2nd pie dough and refrigerate cut circles using the other size cookie cutter for at least 15 minutes before filling the hand pies.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F (191°Can ). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Fill the hand pies:
Leaving the smaller, bottom crusts in the fridge and using a sharp knife, cut two parallel slits into the larger circles. These are the top crusts. (The slits act as vents to allow steam to escape as the hand pies bake.) Arrange the smaller circles about 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. These are the bottom crusts. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each bottom crust. (Or however much fits while leaving the edges bare.) Paint the edge of the bottom crust with water then place top crust on top. Press your fingers all around the edges to seal, then crimp the pie crust edges with a fork. If the hand pies lost some shape, use your hands to form a round circle again. It’s OK if some filling juice is leaking out. Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with egg wash mixture. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
At this point the hand pies can be baked, but if they don’t feel cool to touch anymore, freeze for 10 minutes before baking. The colder they are going into the oven, the better they’ll hold their shape.
Bake for about 28–32 minutes or until they’re golden brown on top and around the edges. Rotate pans halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and allow the hand pies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to handle. You can serve warm or at room temperature. If desired, serve with a drizzle of warm salted caramel.
Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Notes
Make Ahead / Freezing Instructions: A couple ways to make ahead of time! a. The pie crust dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using. b. Filling can also be prepared ahead of time. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using. c. Assembled and unbaked hand pies can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, no need to thaw before baking; simply add an extra couple minutes of bake time. d. Baked hand pies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Cheesecakes – Mini No-Bake
INGREDIENTS Graham Cracker Crust • 240 g (2 c) graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheet graham crackers) • 67 g (⅓ c) packed light or dark brown sugar • 113 g (½ c; 8 Tbl; 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted Filling • 240 (1 c) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream • 452 g (16 oz) RT full-fat brick cream cheese • 67 g (⅓ c) granulated sugar • 30 g (2 Tbl) RT sour cream • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract optional: your desired toppings (see recipe Note)
METHOD Crust:
Line two standard 12-count mini muffin pans with cupcake liners. Make sure you have room in your refrigerator for three pans. (You refrigerate them in step 6.)
Use a food processor to pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Mixture will have the consistency of wet sand. Spoon tsp of the crust mixture into each cupcake liner and use the back of the spoon to pack it down tightly. (The bottom of the liner should have 1/8” of packed crust.)
Bake the crusts for 5 minutes in a 350°F (177°C) oven. The crusts are a little sturdier this way. Let the warm crusts cool for 10 minutes before adding the filling on top. Make Filling:
Place metal stand mixer bowl and whisk in freezer for 30 minutes before proceeding. Whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
With a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
Use piping bag to transfer the filling on top of the crusts. Pipe about 2 Tablespoons of filling over each crust. Fit your piping bag with a large star or round piping tip, then transfer the filling to the bag and pipe. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the tops so they are flat.
Refrigerate the mini cheesecakes in the pans for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. If refrigerating for longer than 3 hours, cover with plastic wrap.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve with optional toppings (see recipe Note). The cheesecakes begin to soften and stick to the liners after about 30–60 minutes at room temperature.
Cover and store leftover mini cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. NOTES
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The mini cheesecakes can be made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving, as noted in step 6. Another way to prep these mini no-bake cheesecakes is to freeze them. Refrigerate them as directed in step 6, then remove them from the muffin pan (keep the liners on them) and line in a single layer in a large freezer-friendly container. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
Optional Toppings: Right before serving, you can add toppings to the mini cheesecakes. You can also add the following toppings after the cheesecakes have chilled in the refrigerator for just 1–2 hours (step 6), then store the topped cheesecakes in the refrigerator for the remaining time. Use 3/4 cup strawberry sauce divided over each chilled mini cheesecake. (Spoon about 1/2 Tablespoon over each.) And/or use 1 cup mixed berries, plus a few mint leaves, divided over each for additional garnish. Instead of strawberry sauce, try the same amount of lemon curd, apple butter, or your favorite fruit preserves. You can also top with chocolate ganache. I recommend spooning a little over each mini cheesecake before refrigerating so the ganache can set up too.
Lemon Juice: Lemon juice brightens up the flavor. This cheesecake does not taste like lemon. For lemon flavored mini no-bake cheesecakes, replace the sour cream with 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (in addition to the 1 teaspoon lemon juice that it already calls for) and add 2 teaspoons lemon zest.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring the cream cheese and sour cream to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients guarantee a smooth cheesecake filling. Beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake filling. (The heavy cream, however, MUST be cold in order to whip into stiff peaks.)
Strawberry Sauce
INGREDIENTS • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch • 3 Tablespoons (45ml) warm water • 1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced in half (you can use frozen; don’t thaw) • Zest and juice from 1/2 small lemon • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
METHOD
Whisk the cornstarch and water together until all the cornstarch has dissolved. (I just use a fork to mix—very easy.)
Place the cornstarch mixture, along with the rest of the ingredients, into a small saucepan over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir the mixture as it cooks. Break up some of the strawberries as you stir. For smoother sauce blend the strawberries in advance.
Bring it to a simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, remove pan from the heat and allow to cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
You can serve the sauce warm before it cools completely if desired, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Strawberry topping will be thick after refrigeration, so microwave for 15 seconds or warm on the stove to thin out, if desired.
Sally’s Rough Puff Pastry is near perfect (my only changes are to tweak it for my baking style. Sally is catering to a larger, international audience while I am catering to myself and my QC Cadre neighbors.)
This bake required a little planning and forethought for me to make/create these pastries, (i.e. where to put the cream cheese or fig, where to place the berries and where/when to slit the dough.) I actually made a life size paper model.
The proof is in the pudding, err… pastry. The Cadre returned a unanimous decision: “Delicious”, “Flakey and Good”, “Wow. Very delicious!! They leave a lingering taste of warm sweetness ! Good job!”
Spread Cream Cheese, Blueberries and folded pastrySpread Fig Preserves, Slits and folded pastryFig Pasty in front, Blueberry in backBoth Pastries cut in half to show layers.
Blueberry-Cream Cheese or Fig Puff Pastry
INGREDIENTS • Puff Pastry (either store bought or recommended rough puff from recipe below) • 1 Tbl Sugar • ~ ½ c. Blueberries (~9 blueberries/pastry) • Cream Cheese (It’s easiest to use spreadable cream cheese) • (For fig pastry replace sugar, blueberries and cream cheese with fig preserves)
METHOD
Wash blueberries and toss with a tablespoon of sugar.
Roll puff (or rough puff) pastry out to a 13”x13” square.
Measure and cut with a pizza cutter six 4”x6” rectangles and position horizontally. (There will be some left over after squaring up the sides.)
Cut staggered diagonal slits on middle 3” of the rectangle
Spread cream cheese on 1½” x 4” edge of the rectangle, being careful not to coat the edges of the pastry.
Place blueberries on the center of the pastry (over the slits). I used ~ 12 blueberries per pastry.
Use your finger to wet the outer 4” edge of the pastry and fold over to the center of the pastry. Repeat with the other cream cheese coated edge, butting the end up against the first fold. Press gently to seal.
Use your fingers, with a little flour if the dough is sticky, to seal the ends. Turn over and place on a parchment paper line baking sheet.
Bake at 400 F for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pans midway.
Rough Puff Pastry
INGREDIENTS • 166 g (1⅓ c) all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring hands, surface, and dough • 1 tsp granulated sugar • ½ tsp salt • 170 g (¾ c or 1½ sticks) unsalted Kerry Gold butter, very cold and cubed • 6–8 Tbl ice cold water
METHOD
Cut the butter into ~1/4” cubes then return to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the cold and cubed butter on top. Gently toss the flour and butter together with your hands, and then briefly rub the butter into the flour to begin combining. Do not break down the butter too much in this step. This step is only possible if the butter is very cold.
Begin adding the ice cold water 1 Tablespoon at a time until dough forms 1 large shaggy clump with big chunks of butter in your bowl. Use your hands to toss the mixture together after you add each Tablespoon. (Start with 2 Tablespoons of water before tossing together.) As the dough begins to hydrate after about 4 Tablespoons of water, you can start lightly squeezing or clumping the dough together with your hands to help bring it together. Mixture will still be very shaggy. If your dough feels sticky and wet before adding 6 Tablespoons of water, your butter was likely too warm– you can continue with the recipe, but the dough will not be as flaky.
Pour the shaggy clump of dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. There will still be large chunks of butter at this point and that’s a good thing. Begin patting the dough down with lightly floured hands until it’s ¾ – 1” thick, about a 5×8” rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds as if you were folding a business letter. Use your hands to gently flatten and smooth out any cracks in your dough. Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap.
1st refrigeration: Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Roll & Fold: Take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the “rolling and folding” process. If the dough chilled for longer than about 3 hours, it’s likely very stiff so let it rest for about 5 minutes before you begin rolling. Lightly flour a work surface. The dough gets sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll and fold. Use your hands to gently flatten the dough into a small square. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 6”×12”x ½” thick. The exact dimensions are not important, but the thickness is. As you roll, it’s best to flip the dough over once or twice to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface as needed. Fold the rectangle into thirds as if it were a business letter. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise and roll it out into a 6”×12”x ½” thick rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise. You’ll repeat rolling and folding 4 more times for a total of 6 times.
2nd Refrigeration: Wrap up/seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours before using in your recipe. You can also freeze the dough at this point. See freezing instructions.
Use wherever you would use frozen store-bought puff pastry. To bake plain, roll pastry dough into a 10×16” rectangle and cut into desired portions. Fill if desired, and paint with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbl water.)
Bake 400°F until golden brown and puffy, about 25-28 minutes.
NOTES
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare as instructed in steps 1-3. At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours (see step 4). You can also prepare the dough through step 5. At this point the dough can be refrigerated for up to another 24 hours (see step 6).
During or after this second chilling time, you could also freeze the dough for up to 1 month. (I don’t recommend freezing the dough before the rolling and folding step.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in a recipe that calls for 1 lb puff pastry dough (or 1 store-bought package with 2 sheets puff pastry).
I made Sally’s rough puff pastry for the first time about three weeks ago. It was delicious, and while a little time consuming, totally worth it. My first attempt was a puff pastry wrapped Brie cheese, topped with fig jam and covered with roasted plum compote. EVERYONE including those who professed to not like plum, and/or Brie loved it.
I used Sally’s recipe again to make some “cover versions” of a blueberry/cream cheese pastry and a Feuillete au Chocolat (puff pastry and chocolate.)
Today, I used yet another third batch of her pastry to make my own version of the blueberry/cream cheese pastry and a fig filled (figs are ripe in my backyard) pastry.
Over the course of these bakes I mildly modified Sally’s recipe. In the first two trials I used high fat content (and expensive) Kerrygold butter. Today I used my standard Costco unsalted butter. I could not discern and difference in baking, taste of flake.
I also cut the butter into 1/4” cubes, then return it to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to really firm up and chill the butter. (It’s worth it.)
I try to turn, roll and fold the dough 6-8 times, I really do, but usually lose count and simple repeat until it feels right. I chilled it overnight and I chilled it for 3 hours, other than it’s being hard to roll, no difference. I also froze one batch for 3 days and when thawed could not tell the difference between it and the unthawed batch.
Since I do all the measuring I can in grams, my version lists weights before volumes, but other than that, I follow her recipe to the letter.
Rough Puff Pastry – Sally
INGREDIENTS • 166 g (1⅓ c) all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring hands, surface, and dough • 1 tsp granulated sugar • ½ tsp salt • 170 g (¾ c or 1½ sticks) unsalted Kerrygold butter, very cold and cubed • 6–8 Tbl ice cold water
METHOD
Cut the butter into ~1/4” cubes return to the fridge to chill.
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the cold and cubed butter on top. Gently toss the flour and butter together with your hands, and then briefly rub the butter into the flour to begin combining. Do not break down the butter too much in this step. This step is only possible if the butter is very cold.
Begin adding the ice cold water 1 Tablespoon at a time until dough forms 1 large shaggy clump with big chunks of butter in your bowl. Use your hands to toss the mixture together after you add each Tablespoon. (Start with 2 Tablespoons of water before tossing together.) As the dough begins to hydrate after about 4 Tablespoons of water, you can start lightly squeezing or clumping the dough together with your hands to help bring it together. Mixture will still be very shaggy. If your dough feels sticky and wet before adding 6 Tablespoons of water, your butter was likely too warm– you can continue with the recipe, but the dough will not be as flaky.
Pour the shaggy clump of dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. There will still be large chunks of butter at this point and that’s a good thing. Begin patting the dough down with lightly floured hands until it’s ¾ – 1” thick, about a 5×8” rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds as if you were folding a business letter. Use your hands to gently flatten and smooth out any cracks in your dough. Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap.
1st refrigeration: Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Roll & Fold: Take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the “rolling and folding” process. If the dough chilled for longer than about 3 hours, it’s likely very stiff so let it rest for about 5 minutes before you begin rolling. Lightly flour a work surface. The dough gets sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll and fold. Use your hands to gently flatten the dough into a small square. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 6”×12”x ½” thick. The exact dimensions are not important, but the thickness is. As you roll, it’s best to flip the dough over once or twice to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface as needed. Fold the rectangle into thirds as if it were a business letter. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise and roll it out into a 6”×12”x ½” thick rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise. You’ll repeat rolling and folding 4 more times for a total of 6 times.
2nd Refrigeration: Wrap up/seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours before using in your recipe. You can also freeze the dough at this point. See freezing instructions.
Use wherever you would use frozen store-bought puff pastry. To bake plain, roll pastry dough into a 10×16” rectangle and cut into desired portions. Fill if desired, and paint with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbl water.)
Bake 400°F until golden brown and puffy, about 25-28 minutes.
NOTES
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare as instructed in steps 1-3. At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours (see step 4). You can also prepare the dough through step 5. At this point the dough can be refrigerated for up to another 24 hours (see step 6).
During or after this second chilling time, you could also freeze the dough for up to 1 month. (I don’t recommend freezing the dough before the rolling and folding step.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in a recipe that calls for 1 lb puff pastry dough (or 1 store-bought package with 2 sheets puff pastry).
Another desirable looking (and delicious) pastry at Paris Baguette is this Feuillete au Chocolat. This is my first attempt to make something similar. It was very good, but will take a couple of more practice to bakes for me to be satisfied. (Oh darn!)
Feuillete au Chocolat translates as Chocolate Puff Pastry. More accurately feuillete translates to “leaf through” which is a pretty accurate description of puff pastry, (especially when it is this good and flaky.)
Feuillete au Chocolat
INGREDIENTS • Puff Pastry • High Quality dark chocolate callets • 1 egg for wash For pastry glaze • ¼ c water • ¼ c sugar • ¼ c corn syrup
METHOD
Roll puff pastry to a 6”X24”rectangle then cut into four 6”x8” pieces. Most important is the dough must be ~ 1/16” thick. If the dough shrinks back cover it and let it rest 5 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Place a row of chocolate 1” from one side, then cut 6 slits ~1” long at and angle and centered between the row of chocolate and the edge of the pastry. Do not cut through the edge (away from the chocolate) of the pastry.
Trim the pastry above and below the chocolate leaving ~ ½ “ of dough.
Fold the wide edge of pastry over so the slits will align with the chocolate. Leave the excess pastry loose and refrigerate while the oven pre-heats to 400⁰ F.
Once the oven is at 400⁰ F remove the pastries from the refrigerator, flip over and egg wash the perimeter of the loose flap before folding it over the bottom of the pastry and above and belo the chocolate row. Press firmly to seal.
Flip pastry over, egg wash and sprinkle sparkling sugar on top.
Bake 30 minutes, tenting after 20 minutes if the pastry is darkening.
Next Step – make pastry custard and spread a line under where the chocolate will go. There is some disagreement over whether you should use crème patisserie or custard. Experimentation awaits. Even without the custard this pastry was wonderful.
I keep referring to Sally’s Rough Puff Pasty but I made a few changes to reflect my personal quirks and how I use the recipe. Here is my version, which is, of course Sally’s.
Rough Puff Pastry – Sally
INGREDIENTS • 166 g (1⅓ c) all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring hands, surface, and dough • 1 tsp granulated sugar • ½ tsp salt • 170 g (¾ c or 1½ sticks) unsalted Kerry Gold butter, very cold and cubed • 6–8 Tbl ice cold water
METHOD
Cut the butter into ~1/4” cubes return to the fridge to chill.
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the cold and cubed butter on top. Gently toss the flour and butter together with your hands, and then briefly rub the butter into the flour to begin combining. Do not break down the butter too much in this step. This step is only possible if the butter is very cold.
Begin adding the ice cold water 1 Tablespoon at a time until dough forms 1 large shaggy clump with big chunks of butter in your bowl. Use your hands to toss the mixture together after you add each Tablespoon. (Start with 2 Tablespoons of water before tossing together.) As the dough begins to hydrate after about 4 Tablespoons of water, you can start lightly squeezing or clumping the dough together with your hands to help bring it together. Mixture will still be very shaggy. If your dough feels sticky and wet before adding 6 Tablespoons of water, your butter was likely too warm– you can continue with the recipe, but the dough will not be as flaky.
Pour the shaggy clump of dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. There will still be large chunks of butter at this point and that’s a good thing. Begin patting the dough down with lightly floured hands until it’s ¾ – 1” thick, about a 5×8” rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds as if you were folding a business letter. Use your hands to gently flatten and smooth out any cracks in your dough. Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap.
1st refrigeration: Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Roll & Fold: Take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the “rolling and folding” process. If the dough chilled for longer than about 3 hours, it’s likely very stiff so let it rest for about 5 minutes before you begin rolling. Lightly flour a work surface. The dough gets sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll and fold. Use your hands to gently flatten the dough into a small square. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 6”×12”x ½” thick. The exact dimensions are not important, but the thickness is. As you roll, it’s best to flip the dough over once or twice to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface as needed. Fold the rectangle into thirds as if it were a business letter. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise and roll it out into a 6”×12”x ½” thick rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise or counter clockwise. You’ll repeat rolling and folding 4 more times for a total of 6 times.
2nd Refrigeration: Wrap up/seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours before using in your recipe. You can also freeze the dough at this point. See freezing instructions.
Use wherever you would use frozen store-bought puff pastry. To bake plain, roll pastry dough into a 10×16” rectangle and cut into desired portions. Fill if desired, and paint with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbl water.)
Bake 400°F until golden brown and puffy, about 25-28 minutes.
NOTES
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare as instructed in steps 1-3. At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours (see step 4). You can also prepare the dough through step 5. At this point the dough can be refrigerated for up to another 24 hours (see step 6).
During or after this second chilling time, you could also freeze the dough for up to 1 month. (I don’t recommend freezing the dough before the rolling and folding step.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in a recipe that calls for 1 lb puff pastry dough (or 1 store-bought package with 2 sheets puff pastry).
Our son, Neil was visiting from Seattle for Vivian’s birthday this weekend, which provided an excellent excuse (as if I needed one) tp practice making puff pastry and creating the method of this pastry.
I bought a “professionally prepare” blueberry and cream cheese pastry at Paris Baguette and it was delicious. Today, I made my version of the same pastry and while not professional looking, it was delicious as well.
I have to say that SallysBakingAddiction’s directions to make rough puff pastry are tremendous. This is now my go-to puff pastry. Yes, it takes longer than running to the market an buying some, but it is more satisfying to make it, and most the time is a result of chilling and resting the dough during the process.
Prior to RoldingCompleted PastryFlaky Beautiful Puff Pastry
Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pastry
INGREDIENTS • One 9”x9” sheet of puff pastry • 60g ( ¼ c) cream cheese • 1 Tbl + 1 tsp (divided) sugar • 60g Blueberries • 1 egg for egg wash Clear Glaze • ¼ c water • ¼ c sugar • ~¼ c corn syrup METHOD
Toss the blueberries with the teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl and set aside,
Mix the cream cheese and the tablespoon of sugar in a small bow and mix to combine into a smooth paste.
On a lightly floured workspace roll puff pastry out into a 9”x9” sheet. If it shrinks back, cover and let it rest a few minutes then continue rolling. Dust the pastry with flour, flipping several times as it’s rolled to ~ 1/16 “ thick
Place a row of blueberries ~1” from one edge of the pastry then spoon a row of cream cheese/sugar mixture ~1” from the blueberries.
Cut 6 parallel slits at an angle ~1” from the cream cheese and a second row of slits, herringbone angled opposite the first row of slits.
Fold the puff pastry over the rows of cream cheese and blueberries such that one row of slits covers the blueberries and the other covers the cream cheese. There should be a 1-2” “flap” of pastry extending beyond the edge near the blueberries.
Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is firm enough to manipulate. This is a good time to preheat the over to 400 ⁰F
Remove pastry from the refrigerator and flip over on its top. Egg wash the flap and ends of the pastry and press firmly to seal onto what will be the bottom of the pastry. Press the ends together and trim as desired.
Flip the pastry right side up and egg wash the top and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Bake at 400⁰ F on a lower oven rack. After 20 minutes it may be necessary to tent the pastry with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning as the bottom, thicker, layer of the pastry bakes.
Mix sugar and water and bring to a rolling boil. Once the sugar is completely dissolved transfer to a heat proof bowl, combine ¼ cup of the mixture with ¼ c of corn syrup and mix well.
Brush mixture onto the pastry and let dry to a shiny, non sticky surface.
Note: I make SallysBakingAddiction rough puff pastry. It is easy to make and while mostly rest and chilling, time consuming results in a beautiful puff pastry that rivals any commercially available product. (Incidentally, I use Kerry Gold high fat content butter.)
While we were away my blackberry bushes flourished. I needed 6 cups to make a blackberry pie, but only harvested 4 cups from the bushes this morning. Luckily, I had 2 cups of fresh frozen raspberries in the freezer, so I compromised my desired blackberry pie into a “berry” pie. It’s all good.
Don’t be afraid or intimidated by the thought of making a delicious, flaky pie crust. John Kanell’s Preppy Kitchen will calm your nerves. Every time I made this pie crust, including the very first time, the result was a perfect crust, and a perfect companion to any pie.
This is all you needPlus some pie weightsTo make a perfect pie crustWhich can be filled with whatever you want.Fresh berriesMixed berries with other pie stuffMaking the lattice topCompleted lattice topCompleted pie
I also had one sheet of puff pastry left over from a bake prior to our Vermont trip and needed to use it up. At my brothers we were fortunate enough to sample some traditional Portuguese palmiers, which are puff pastry coated with granulated sugar, rolled and baked. Once again John Kanell solved my problem with a spare piece of puff pastry.
I need to remember to use the convection oven to achieve a more even bake.
The June 2025 Sally’s Baking Challenge was the above mentioned tart and it was fantastic. The look and taste were perfect. I am harvesting the blackberries in my garden so added a few, because I could.
Removing the pith from the mandarin oranges was challenging. I ended up dipping them for a few seconds in near boiling water then gently rubbing with a soft brush. Not perfect, but not bad either.
Frozen tart shellFilling ingredients Folded filling ingredients Baked tart shellFilled tart shell with toppings in the backgroundFinished Fresh Fruit Tart
INGREDIENTS Crust • 188g (1 ½ c) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed • 45g (6 Tbl) confectioners’ sugar • ⅛ teaspoon salt • 113g ( ½ c (8 Tbl) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 8 pieces • 1 large egg, cold Vanilla Mascarpone Cream • 120g ( ½ c) heavy cream, cold • 60g ( ½ c) confectioners’ sugar, divided, 45g:15g • ½ tsp fresh lemon zest • 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste • 8 ounces (226g) mascarpone, cold Fruit Topping • assorted fresh sliced fruit • 2 Tablespoons orange, peach, or apricot preserves • 1 Tablespoon water
METHOD
Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base with nonstick spray.
Make the crust: In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt and pulse or process on low speed to combine. Add the butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing a few times after each addition. Add the egg and pulse only until the dough comes together in a clump. The dough should be soft. Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and press it into a 1-inch-thick disc.
Place the soft dough in the prepared pan and use your hands to press it evenly into the pan and up the sides. It may seem like you don’t have enough dough at first, but keep pressing. Use the bottom of a metal measuring cup to press the edges firmly against the rim of the pan. (Refrigerate for 10 minutes to make the dough firmer and easier to press into the sides of the pan.) Flatten the top edge so it’s even with the rim of the pan, or use a paring knife to trim. Save the scraps to patch up any thin-looking areas. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Cover and freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Remove the crust from the freezer and place the tart pan on a large baking sheet for easy handling.
Bake for 25 minutes (rotation half way through) or until the crust appears set. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the cream filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, 6 Tbsp (45g) confectioners’ sugar, the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds until stiff peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. In a small bowl using a fork, gently mix the mascarpone with the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Don’t over-mix; you only want to smooth out the mascarpone here. Over-mixing will result in a separated mixture.
Transfer the mascarpone mixture to the whipped cream mixture. Fold together with a silicone spatula or beat on low speed until combined. Use right away (next step), or cover and refrigerate the filling for up to 3 days before using.
Spread the filling into the cooled crust. I usually use a small offset spatula for this. Refrigerate until ready to garnish with fruit, or garnish right away.
Top the tart: Garnish the tart with fresh fruit. Use a fork to whisk together the jam and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Warm for about 15 seconds in the microwave, then brush the glaze on top of the fruit.
Slice and enjoy! Store leftover fruit tart, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I needed a quick snack this morning and had insufficient heavy cream to make drop berry scone, and remembered Maggies Biscuits. These are delicious, short biscuits that are ready in less than an hour. Paired with jam or butter and they are perfect.
Maggie’s Six Biscuits
(Reproduced here in almost the original vernacular)
INGREDIENTS • 1 tsp Baking Soda • 1 tsp Salt • 1 tsp Sugar • ½ tsp Baking Powder • 1 ½ c AP Flour • 1 stick Cold Butter • 3/4 Sour Milk or Buttermilk (I soured whole milk with a bit o’lemon juice)
METHOD
Mix the dry ingredients.
Cut in the butter (fingers or pastry thingie, your choice) til it’s a shaggy mess … remembering that the less it’s messed with the flakier it’ll (like, I have to tell YOU that, 🤣).
Once it’s at the shaggy mess stage begin adding the liquid a bit at a time until it’s a soft dough … keeping in mind then”remembering” bit notes above.
Knead it a tiny bit.
Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it into a rectangle about 1/2” high, spread some melted butter on it,
Fold in half, pat it into a rectangle about 1” high
Cut into 1½ “ circles, spread some melted butter on it, place on parchment papered baking sheet, and chill in the freezer as oven pre-heats, ~15 min
aBatteredOldSuitcase 