12 BEST SWEET & SAVORY PUFF PASTRY RECIPES
Puff pastry, also called “pâte feuilletée” in French, is a laminated dough—traditionally made with butter, flour, salt and cold water, then layered and rolled with butter and chilled several times—that bakes into layer upon layer of mouthwatering flaky pastry. Versatile and delicious, puff pastry can be used to create a number of dishes, from appetizers to desserts.
WHAT IS PUFF PASTRY USED FOR?
Puff pastry can be the star of sweet and savory dishes for every meal of the day. It can be used for everything from delicate breakfast pastries to an “en croute” preparation for fish and beef entrées. If your recipe calls for a pastry dough or even a shortcrust or bread dough, there’s a good chance that puff pastry will work.
PUFF PASTRY RECIPE IDEAS
Puff pastry can be twisted and rolled with pestos, chimichurris, cheeses and herbs into palmiers, pinwheels and cheese straws to serve with handcrafted cocktails. Stack a ring of puff pastry on a base and fill it with a variety of sweet and savory fillings for mouthwatering vol-au-vents. Create a deconstructed pot pie by topping your filling with a crispy piece of baked puff pastry. Try puff pastry instead of shortcrust or pizza dough for quiche and pizza crusts. Turn it into crispy doughnuts and impossibly flaky turnovers for a festive brunch.
The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Here are 12 unforgettable puff pastry recipes to help get the creative juices flowing:
1. PUFF PASTRY WAFFLES WITH WHIPPED CREAM
These lighter-than-air waffles melt in your mouth. Sour cream is whipped with heavy cream, in a KitchenAid® stand mixer, for a slightly tangy creamy topping. Serve strewn with your favorite berries for a true breakfast treat.
2. CHERRY CREAM CHEESE BREAKFAST PASTRIES
You can replace the cherries in these creamy tarts with any seasonal fruits you have on hand—apples, berries or stone fruits would also be delicious.
3. RATATOUILLE TART
Puff pastry and Boursin cheese team up to showcase layers of veggies in a tart that can be cut into small pieces for a heavy appetizer dish or cut larger for a tasty entrée portion for lunch with friends.
4. ROOT VEGETABLE TART TATIN
Nestled in a bed of goat cheese on flaky puff pastry, thinly sliced root vegetables can be prepped with ease for this tart with the KitchenAid® stand mixer and KitchenAid® Fresh Prep Slicer/Shredder Attachment.1
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5. ZUCCHINI RED PEPPER QUICHE
This brunch staple combines veggies and two cheeses with eggs—all baked to puffy, flaky, savory perfection in a puff pastry crust. The filling can be combined quickly in a KitchenAid® food processor. Elevate the dish with different combinations of vegetables and cheeses—nutty gruyere or Jarlsberg are delicious with sautéed onions and mushrooms. Or try adding sprigs of fresh herbs, tomatoes and smoky gouda.
6. GOAT CHEESE TOASTS
Slices of zucchini, squash, tomato and basil are layered on rounds of puff pastry, spread with zesty goat cheese. Sub your favorite seasonal vegetables and serve them warm or at room temperature for a delicious canapé at your next gathering.
7. SPRING ONION AND RAISIN STRUDEL
Spring onions, leeks, pine nuts and raisins are baked in a creamy custard encased in puff pastry for a savory strudel with a hint of sweetness. This recipe makes a delectable side dish for grilled meats or a hearty salad.
8. BAKED BRIE EN CROUTE WITH DRIED CHERRY COMPOTE FILLING
Step up your charcuterie game by adding a delicious pastry-wrapped brie to your board. Before the brie is covered in pastry and baked, it is sliced in the center and filled with a sweet/tart, slightly boozy cherry filling.
9. SEASONAL VEGETARIAN POT PIE
Delicious veggies, a little mascarpone and a hint of mustard all served in a flaky puff pastry crust…what’s not to like? Add a little paprika or cayenne to give it a little extra kick.
10. BEEF WELLINGTON WITH COGNAC SAUCE
There’s nothing more inviting on a holiday table than a melt-in-your-mouth beef tenderloin smothered in a rich mushroom duxelle and blanketed in flaky puff pastry dough. This recipe finishes the classic dish with a rich, creamy cognac sauce.
11. BERRY POT PIE
Instead of a traditional pie crust, berry-packed pot pie features a lattice crust made with strips of puff pastry. Bake it in individual ramekins for a fun, personal presentation or make it in a single pie dish for one big beautiful dessert.
12. PEACH & BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE GALETTE
Whip up the creamy filling for an end-of-summer galette in your KitchenAid® stand mixer with the Wire Whip Accessory. Top it with clouds of fresh whipped cream for a little extra deliciousness.
WHAT CAN YOU USE INSTEAD OF PUFF PASTRY?
Undeniably delicious, puff pastry is ideal to use for light, buttery, flaky results. It is time-consuming to make, though and if you don’t have time to “roll and rest” or you don’t have any puff pastry on hand you can use other doughs like phyllo, shortcrust or flaky pastry in its place. Keep in mind different pastry doughs will yield variations in taste and texture.
Phyllo dough creates layers of crispy, flaky tastiness, but don’t expect it to puff up quite as much as puff pastry. Shortcrust is a buttery pastry—often used for tarts, quiches and samosas—that will yield a crumbly rather than flaky texture. Flaky pastry, which is used for many traditional pie crusts, can work as a stand-in for puff pastry. In some cases, you can even substitute bread dough for puff pastry for recipes like a flaky turnover.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH LEFTOVER PUFF PASTRY?
You won’t want to waste one scrap of puff pastry. Sprinkle leftover pieces with cinnamon and sugar or grated parmesan and a few fresh herbs for tasty bites. Toss baked pieces in confectioner’s sugar or drizzle them with icing or melted chocolate. Wrap leftover pastry pieces around cocktail sausages and roll them in seasonings before baking and dunking in spicy mustard. Make puff pastry “nachos” with cheese, scallions and salsa. Decorate tarts and pastries with cutouts from odds and ends of puff pastry dough.
HOW DO YOU STORE PUFF PASTRY?
Wrap unbaked individual sheets of puff pastry in plastic wrap and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to two days. The sheets can be individually, tightly wrapped and stored in airtight containers in the freezer for several months.
HOW LONG DOES PUFF PASTRY LAST IN THE REFRIGERATOR?
Stored properly, puff pastry can last in the refrigerator for up to two days. Most store-bought puff pastry sheets are frozen, so they should defrost in the refrigerator for about four hours before you bake them. Leaving frozen sheets in the refrigerator for too long may lead to gumminess and a loss of flavor. Smell stored puff pastry before you use it. If it smells sour, instead of light and buttery, don’t use it.
CAN YOU FREEZE PUFF PASTRY WITH FILLINGS?
Sugar-based fillings like jam or fruit tend to freeze better than dairy-based fillings like cheese and cream cheese, which can split when frozen. Keep in mind that air is the enemy of stored puff pastry, so wrap filled or unfilled puff pastry items tightly before freezing.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH PUFF PASTRY RECIPES
There are many delicious ways to complement your puff pastry dishes. Coffee and tea are natural go-tos for buttery strudels and breakfast pastries. If you’re serving a tart or quiche for lunch or brunch with friends, whip up a simple soup in your KitchenAid® blender or make an easy chopped salad with your KitchenAid® food processor to go along with it. It goes without saying that homemade whipped cream makes a delectable addition to almost every puff pastry dessert.
EXPLORE KITCHENAID® STAND MIXERS, ACCESSORIES AND ATTACHMENTS1
The versatility of the KitchenAid® stand mixer makes it the ideal tool to create elegant pastry doughs and the sweet and savory fillings to accompany them. Find a KitchenAid® stand mixer in the style and color that suits your creativity and unique kitchen style. Pair it with an additional, stunning stand mixer bowl1 or a KitchenAid® attachment1 for fresh prep, desserts, pastas and so much more.
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