Spooky Pastry Puffs Recipes

STUFFED PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Put a medium saucepan on the stove over high heat. Put the figs, honey, and water in the pan, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and allow the water to simmer. The honey and natural sugars from the figs should thicken the water. Continue to simmer figs until a sauce is achieved that is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon. When sauce has reached that consistency, remove from heat. Put "fig sauce" in a refrigerator-safe container, and allow cooling for at least 20 minutes.
• Spread a sheet of puff pastry out on a clean, lightly floured surface. Scoop a small amount of fig sauce on the puff pastry sheet with about 2 inches around the sauce on every side. Put a piece of Brie on top of the sauce. Carefully fold the edges of the puff pastry over the cheese. Squeeze the edges of the pastry together then carefully flip the pastry over, so the smooth surface of the pastry is facing up. Gently take the pastry and put it on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat this until all the cheese is used. You should have 8 small stuffed pastries.
• When all the pastries are on the sheet tray, take a pastry brush, and lightly brush egg whites on the top and sides of each pastry, this will give the pastry a shine when it comes out of the oven. Drizzle a small amount of honey on top of each pastry.
• Bake the pastries until the puff pastry is a golden brown. This should take about 15 minutes, but keep your eyes on the baking process. When the pastries are golden brown, remove from the oven, and allow them to cool on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes, then serve warm.

SPOOKY PASTRY PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 420 degrees F. Thaw puff pastry in refrigerator
• For the filling: Melt butter in a pan. Add the apples and toss so they are covered with the melted butter. Add brown sugar, rum extract, pumpkin pie spice and apple cider. Stir over heat until thick.
• Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry flat on a cutting board. Cut puff pastry with Halloween shaped cookie cutters like bats, pumpkins and ghosts. Place cutout shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make sure there is enough room between shapes for them to puff-up. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
• When puff pastry has been baked carefully cut each shape in half like a sandwich. Spread apple butter on bottom half of puff pastry. Layer apple filling on top of the apple butter. Put whipped topping on top of apple filling. Place top half of puff pasty on whipped cream to complete the sandwich. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
• When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer that is fitted with a dough hook. Gradually stir in water until the dough holds together enough to clean the sides of the bowl. You may not need the full amount of water. Shape into a flat ball, and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
• Place the butter between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound into a flat disc using a rolling pin or other heavy object. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Place the disc of chilled butter in the center and fold the two ends over it so that it is completely encased in dough. Roll out the dough again, taking care not to let the butter break through the dough, to about 1/2 inch thickness. Fold into thirds. This is the first ''turn''. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll out into a rectangle again. Fold into thirds. By this time the butter is starting to warm up. Place the dough on a baking sheet and mark it with two pokes from your finger (two turns). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Repeat this rolling, folding and turning two more times, then refrigerate until firm. Repeat two more times for a total of 6 ''turns''. Wrap and refrigerate. The dough is now ready to roll out and use in any recipe calling for puff pastry. Roll the dough out as thin as 1/4 inch to make pastries. Bake in a preheated oven of at least 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) to get the maximum puff from your pastry.

PASTRY PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. In a small saucepan, bring water, butter, and sugar to a boil over high.
• Immediately remove from heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in all-purpose flour. Continue to stir until mixture pulls away from sides of pan, about 2 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until batter comes together. Transfer batter to a large zip-top bag; twist and squeeze bag so batter is in one corner. With scissors, snip a 1/2-inch opening in corner (or use a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round plain tip).
• Pipe batter into desired size mounds, 1 inch apart, onto sheets. With a wet finger, smooth pointy tops. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until puffs are golden brown and feel light and hollow inside, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

PASTRY SNAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Unroll the pastry and top with a couple of handfuls of parmesan, then fold in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to a thickness of 2mm. Cut into 1cm strips, then twist each strip several times to form a snake.
• Lay out the snakes on a baking sheet, then brush each one with egg and sprinkle with more cheese. To decorate, scatter over the seeds. Flatten one end of each snake and press in two peppercorns for eyes. Bake for 12-14 mins, or until golden. Leave to cool. Will keep for two days in an airtight container.