German Puff Pastry Cookies Blatterteig Pastetchen Recipes

GERMAN PUFF PASTRY COOKIES (BLATTERTEIG PASTETCHEN)

Steps:

• Blend flour and confectioners' sugar; chill.
• Add potato and mix gently with a fork. Cut in butter until pieces are the size of small peas.
• Sprinkle extract over mixture, a few drops at a time, mixing lightly with fork (dough should be crumbly). Shape dough into a ball; chill thoroughly.
• Roll dough, a half at a time, 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface; cut with 1 3/4 inch round cutter and cut centers from HALF the rounds with a 3/4 inch round cutter. Place rounds, rings, and centers on separate ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 400°F 10 to 15 minutes.
• When cool, spread rounds with currant jelly and top with rings; fill centers of rings with a small amount of jelly; top with centers. About 2 dozen cookies.
• CAI Canadian Family Cookbook.

HOMEMADE PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Place cubed butter in a bowl; lower into a large bowl full of ice to keep cold.
• Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse twice. Add 1/4 cup of the butter cubes and pulse 4 times. Repeat with the remaining butter cubes, 1/4 cup at a time. Place mixture into a large, chilled bowl.
• Combine 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice water and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add 1/2 the mixture to the flour-butter mixture and toss until just combined; dough should be lumpy with bits of solid butter.
• Place dough on a floured work surface. Knead lightly to form a ball. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll chilled dough out into a square. Place whipped butter in the center of the dough and smooth outward, leaving a 1/2-inch edge. Fold dough in half; pinch edges and seal. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for another 30 minutes.
• Roll dough out into a rectangle. Fold 1/3 of the dough into the center. Fold the other side toward the center to overlap the first fold. Rotate dough 90 degrees. Roll out into a rectangle again. Repeat folding. Make 2 indents in the top of the dough with your finger to show you've completed 2 folds. Wrap dough again and chill for 30 minutes.
• Repeat folding and rolling 4 more times, marking the dough before chilling every time. Cut in half after the sixth fold; wrap each half and chill.

PALMIERS (FRENCH PUFF PASTRY COOKIES)

Steps:

• Thaw out puff pastry, but make sure it stays chilled. You want it pliable (chill it again if it gets warm and sticky). Puff pastry should already be 1/8 inch thick - if not, roll it out to that thickness.
• If your pastry cracks you can seal it together with a little water and your finger.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
• Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, or a section from a brown paper bag to fit.
• Spread SUGAR on the counter like you would flour to roll out dough.
• Lay out one sheet of pastry (keep 2nd sheet in fridge for now). Sprinkle the top with sugar as if you were rolling the dough out.
• Take the two sides of dough and fold them in towards each other halfway to the center and press down lightly.
• Then take the folded edges and fold them in to meet in the center. Then fold them together like closing a book, it should look like a U shape.
• Cut into 3/8 inch slices with a sharp knife and place on cookie sheet.
• Sprinkle with a light coating of sugar and place in the oven for 6 to 7 minutes.
• Work on the second sheet at this time.
• Pull out and turn cookies over and sprinkle that side. Bake 3-5 minutes more or until center is done and edges are golden.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool, then store in an airtight container.
• Optional items: Use cinnamon sugar in place of sugar.
• The glaze can be drizzled over the top to finish it off.