Puff Pastry + a go-to Spring tart

If there Is one thing I’m glad to have in my back pocket, it’s this recipe for Homemade Puff Pastry.  It’s easy to follow, easy to execute (thank you food processor), and from what I can tell pretty full proof.  And so good!  So far I’ve used it to make a pot pie + this Spring tart we enjoyed for Easter, and in both attempts the dough came together really well + was easy to work with.

 
 

Big Puff Pastry Girl

I use puff pastry kind of a lot.  I love to make big, veggie loaded tarts when the seasons change and we start having dinners in the backyard, and one of my favorite holiday meals is a veggie Wellington.  All use puff pastry, and there’s this part of me that has wanted to dabble in making my own so that these meals I love to make can be totally homemade.  For me that just meant carving out the time + having the mentality to tackle a kitchen project.  I did all of that - cleared my afternoon and had several hours blocked off to make this thing.  Spoiler - it took all of 30 minutes.  Classic!

I do utilize my food processor, and the food processor Is kind of a clutch tool here.  It meant no grating sticks of butter or attempting to roll out butter in between two pieces of plastic wrap.  I feel like these are things I see frequently attempted on baking shows, and it looks like a hellish ordeal.  I avoided all of that, and if that makes me a cheater, whatever.

 
 

Freeze that butter!

The key is to make sure the butter is super cool.  Freeze those sticks for 30 minutes, and you should be set.  It makes it so easy to cut into cubes - a necessary step to get it blended into the flour.  

The other key - the pulse button.  Gradually pulsing everything together versus just cranking the food processor on helped prevent the butter from getting totally pulverized.

Easy to work with

The dough was forgiving!  The final step is to do a bit of kneading by hand, and it’s honestly kind of fun.  It’s the last step to get the dough to come together, and working with my hands made me feel like I really got in there and made this puff pastry, and didn’t let the food processor take all the credit.

I’m happy that I feel comfortable trying something like this in my own kitchen - expanding my baking horizons and diving into a kitchen project that was totally new.  In the process also changing my mentality, no longer believing that puff pastry is “only something you buy” because making it would be far too difficult.  Nope!  It’s super achievable + so delicious.

 
 

For the puff pastry

  • 1 1/4 c. cold butter, cut into. cubes (I like to cut the butter into cubes, and then freeze the cubes for at least 30 minutes)

  • 2 c. flour

  • 1/2 c. ice cold water (cold than just tap water!)

  • pinch of salt

For the Spring tart

  • 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed + blanched

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 1 c. ricotta

  • 1/4 c. grated parmesan

  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme

  • salt + pepper

  • pinch of red pepper flakes

  • 1/2 c. shelled edamame

  • 4 slices prosciutto

  • fresh basil, thinly sliced

For the puff pastry - Add the half of the butter, flour, and salt to the food processor. Pulse 10-12 times for about 2 seconds each - the butter should look like small pebbles. Add the rest of the butter and pulse another 2-3 times. Add in the cold water + pulse a final 5-6 times. The dough should be roughly together + beginning to form a ball.

Put the dough on a lightly floured surface + knead 10-12 times. Pat the dough into a square, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. When you’re ready to use it, pull it out about 20 minutes before dish assembly to thaw just a bit.

For the Spring tart - I started my prep by preheating the oven to 425 + lining a baking tray with parchment. Roll out the puff pastry to roughly 17x13. Trim down to 16x12 - twisting the trimmed edges + saving them to put back on the puff. Take the trimmed rectangle + transfer it to the prepared baking tray. Use a fork to gently poke holes all over the bottom. Brush egg wash over the top, then lay the twisted ends around the edge of the tart, lightly pressing them into the tart. Brush the twisted pieces with egg wash, than place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Move to prepping the cheese mixture. Add the ricotta, parmesan, thyme, a pinch of salt + pepper, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and the rest of the egg wash to a bowl. Mix everything together + set aside.

Remove the puff pastry from the fridge. Bake 15 minutes + reduce the oven temp to 375. Spread the cheese mixture over the top of the puff pastry, then top it with the asparagus, edamame, and finally the prosciutto. Place the tart back in the oven + bake for another 10-15 minutes. The tart should be browned + prosciutto crispy with a firm bottom crust. When the tart has finished cooking, remove it from the oven + let it sit for about 10 minutes before cutting into it. Finish it with the sprinkle of basil.

Lesley ZehnerComment