Puff Pastry Four Ways

Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

1 8-oz block cream cheese
¼ cup granulated sugar  
½ tsp vanilla extract

Method:

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Strawberry Pastry Diamond

Ingredients:

1 sheet thawed puff pastry
5 strawberries, halved with stems removed
9 Tbsp. cream cheese filling, recipe above
powdered sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the puff pastry into 9 equal squares.

Taking one of the squares, fold one of the edges to the opposite edge.

Leaving a ½-centimeter border, cut about ¾ of the way from the bottom of the triangle to the tip on both sides, making sure the cuts do not touch. 

Unfold the square.

Taking the top flap, fold it toward the 2 cuts near the bottom. 

Take the bottom flap and fold it toward the top edge.

Place about a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling in the middle, then place a strawberry half on top. 

Repeat with the remaining pastry squares.

Bake for 15–20 minutes until pastry is golden brown and puffed.

Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar!

Raspberry Pastry Flower

Ingredients:
1 sheet thawed puff pastry
20 raspberries
4 Tbsp. cream cheese filling, recipe above
Powdered sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the puff pastry into 4 equal squares.

Leaving a ½-centimeter border, make 8 total cuts along the edges of the square, with each cut going about ⅓ of the way through the length of the edge. Make sure the cuts do not touch.

Place a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling in the middle of the square, then top with 4 raspberries.

Take one of the edge flaps and fold it toward the center, looping over the raspberry. Repeat with the other flaps. Place a raspberry in the center, on top of where all the flaps overlap.

Repeat with the remaining pastry squares.

Bake for 15–20 minutes until pastry is golden brown and puffed.

Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar!

Blueberry Pastry Pinwheel

Ingredients:
1 sheet thawed puff pastry
20 raspberries
4 Tbsp. cream cheese filling, recipe above
Powdered sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the puff pastry into 4 equal squares.

Leaving a ½-centimeter border, make 8 total cuts along the edges of the square, with each cut going about ⅓ of the way through the length of the edge. Make sure the cuts do not touch.

Place a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling in the middle of the square, then top with 4 raspberries.

Take one of the edge flaps and fold it toward the center, looping over the raspberry. Repeat with the other flaps. Place a raspberry in the center, on top of where all the flaps overlap.

Repeat with the remaining pastry squares.

Bake for 15–20 minutes until pastry is golden brown and puffed.

Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar!

Alfajor

IGREDIENTS:
1 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon baking powde

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon pisco or brandy

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup dulce de leche, at room temperature

Powdered sugar, for dusting

                  

Method:

Place the cornstarch, measured flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk briefly to combine; set aside.
2
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl once with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, pisco or brandy, and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add the reserved flour mixture and mix until just incorporated with no visible white pockets, about 30 seconds.3
Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a smooth disk, and wrap it tightly. Place in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.4
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.5
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness (the dough will crack but can be easily patched back together). Stamp out 24 rounds using a plain or fluted 2-inch round cutter, rerolling the dough as necessary until all of it is gone.6
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, 12 per sheet and at least 1/2 inch apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are firm and pale golden on the bottom, about 12 to 14 minutes. (The cookies will remain pale on top.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.7
Flip half of the cookies upside down and gently spread about 2 teaspoons of the dulce de leche on each. Place a second cookie on top and gently press to create a sandwich. Dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.

Cake Pops

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake prepared      

Chocolate Frostin
White Chocolate
Pop Sticks
Sprinkles

Method

Add cake to a large bowlCrumble until it resembles fine crumbsAdd in frosting a little bit at a time until cake is moist and can hold a ball shape, yet still slightly crumblyUse your hands to incorporate the frosting into the cake crumbsUse a mini ice cream scoop and scoop out two balls of cake mixtureRoll the mixture into a tight ball and place on a plateMelt the white chocolate in the microwaveDip the tip of the cake pop sticks into the white chocolate and insert into the cake balls about half-wayFreeze for about 20 minutesMeanwhile prepare all of your decorating suppliesMelt the remaining chocolate in a large cup. Make sure you have enough chocolate to completely submerge the cake ballRemove cake balls from freezerDip cake balls carefully into the chocolate until coveredLet the excess chocolate drip off. Swirl and tap gently if neededAdd the sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet. It will harden quicklyStick the decorated cake pop into a styrofoam block to finish settingPlace into the freezer to speed up setting timeCover with a clear treat bag & ribbon for gift giving, if desiredStore in a single layer, in an airtight container

                                           Oreo Donuts

Ingredients:

for the donuts 

¾ cup flour

⅓ cup cocoa powder

⅓ cup light brown sugar 

 ½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder  

¾ teaspoon salt

1 egg

⅓ cup milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vinegar, white or cider

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 oreos, crushed finely

donut pan 

for the frosting

1 ounce cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons milk
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 oreos, crushed finely, for sprinkling

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a standard sized donut pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk egg, milk, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisking to combine. Gently fold in the crushed Oreos.

Transfer mixture into a pastry bag or large ziplock with a hole cut into the corner. Pipe batter into donut molds, filling ⅔ of the way up the molds. Bake for 10 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the donut comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes before frosting.

While the donuts are cooling, make the frosting. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, whisking until smooth. The consistency should be thick but still thin enough to form ribbons when you scoop it from the bowl and back down. Dip each donut into the frosting and top with more crushed Oreos. Devour.

Pancakes

Ingredients:

2

cups Original Bisquick™ mix

1

cup milk

2

eggs

Method:

  Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat or electric griddle to 375°F; grease with cooking spray, vegetable oil or shortening. (Surface is ready when a few drops of water sprinkled on it dance and disappear.)

•  Stir all ingredients until blended. Pour by slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls onto hot griddle.
•   Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook until golden. Note: If you like thin pancakes, use 1 1/2 cups milk.

Milk Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon milk 

(at room temperature)

1 large egg   (at room temperature)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cake flour, tap measuring cup to avoid air pockets
3 1/2 cups bread flour, tap measuring cut to avoid air pockets
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Egg wash: whisk together 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water
Simple syrup (optional): 2 teaspoons of sugar dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water

method:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt. Use the dough hook attachment, and turn on the mixer to “stir.” Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together. If you’re in a humid climate and the dough is too sticky, feel free to add a little more bread flour 1/4 cup at a time until it comes together. If you don’t have a mixer and would like to knead by hand, extend the kneading time by 5-10 minutes.

If you ever find yourself deciding whether you need a mixer or if you are thinking about a good stand mixer, then by all means, you should go for it and get the last stand mixer you’ll ever buy! Trust us on this one and you’ll be glad you bought it to make all of these delicious Chinatown bakery style milk bread recipes! While you’re at it, take a look at our Cooking tools page to see what else we use in our kitchen.

After 15 minutes of mixing, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 1 hour. I proofed the dough in my oven (I had the oven on rapid proof for 5 minutes, turned the oven off, and then closed the oven door). The dough will grow to 1.5X its original size.

In the meantime, grease two baking vessels on all sides with butter. I used a standard loaf pan and a 9-inch round cake pan.

After the hour of proofing, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface, and cut it in half. I made a loaf with one half of the dough by cutting it into 3 pieces and placing them in the loaf pan.

With the other half of the dough, I cut it into eight equal pieces and rolled them with my hands into 8-inch long pieces. Then I folded each “rope” in half and twisted it 3-4 times.

Then, I twisted the entire piece in on itself to make a knot. There’s no strictly right or wrong way to achieve the knot. Just make sure that the dough gets twisted in on itself and the you’re not pulling ends through the knot. It’s should be round in shape with nothing poking out when you’re done.

Once shaped, let the dough proof for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the risen dough with egg wash. Bake the loaves for 23-25 minutes.

Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and brush the buns with sugar water to give them a really great shine, sweetness, and color.

Easy Apple Cake

Ingredients:

1/2

cup butter, softened               

1

cup sugar

2

eggs

1/4

teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4

cups all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking soda

1

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4

teaspoon salt

1 1/2

cups shredded peeled apples (about 2 medium apples)

1/2

cup chopped walnuts

1

quart vanilla or cinnamon ice cream

Method:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour.

•   In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in apples and walnuts. Spoon into pan.
•   Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Serve warm with ice cream.