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  2. Cut 170 g/6 oz (7⁄8 cup) cold butter into thin, even slices.

  a. Roll out the dough into a rectangle (25 x 12 cm/10 x 41⁄2 in). Place the slices of butter on one half of the rectangle, leaving the edges uncovered. Fold the other half on top and press the edges down.

  b. Roll out the dough into a rectangle 1 cm (3⁄8 in) thick, fold into three lengthways and turn 90 degrees (a quarter turn).

  c. Roll out the dough again into a rectangle 1 cm (3⁄8 in) thick, fold into four lengthways, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  3. Repeat stages b and c and refrigerate again for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little water. Preheat the oven.

  4. Proceed and bake following the instructions in the recipe.

  PUFF PASTRY

  100 | Almond bows

  For children (about 20 pieces/2 baking sheets)

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding defrosting time

  Baking time: about 12 minutes per baking sheet

  For the baking sheet:

  some fat

  some water

  For the pastry:

  1⁄2 packet (225 g/8 oz) frozen puff pastry

  or

  1⁄2 basic recipe puff pastry

  For the filling:

  200 g/7 oz marzipan

  2 teaspoons apricot preserve

  50 g/2 oz (4 tablespoons) soft butter or margarine

  For coating and topping:

  some condensed milk

  30 g/1 oz blanched flaked almonds

  For dusting:

  some icing (confectioner’s) sugar

  Per piece:

  P: 2 g, F: 9 g, C: 9 g, kJ: 520, kcal: 124

  1. Defrost the frozen puff pastry following the instructions on the packet or prepare the puff pastry yourself following the basic recipe (halving the amount). Preheat the oven. Grease the baking sheet and sprinkle with water.

  2. For the marzipan filling, cut the marzipan into very small pieces, add the apricot jam and butter and stir using a hand mixer with whisk until the mixture is soft enough to spread.

  3. Put the dough layers on top of each other on a floured work surface and roll into a rectangle measuring (50 x 30 cm/ 20 x 12 in). Spread the marzipan mixture evenly on one half of the dough. Fold the other half on top to make a rectangle of (25 x 30 cm/10 x 12 in) and press lightly.

  4. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into strips 1.5 cm/2⁄3 in wide and 25 cm/10 in long. Tie the strips into loose bows and put next to each other on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the bows with condensed milk and sprinkle with almonds. Put the baking sheet in the oven.

  Top/bottom heat: about 220 °C/425 °F (preheated),

  Fan oven: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated), Gas mark 7 (preheated),

  Baking time: about 12 minutes per baking sheet.

  5. Put the almond bows on a rack to cool down and dust with icing sugar before serving.

  PUFF PASTRY

  101 | Puff pastry turnovers

  Popular–quick (10 pieces/2 baking sheets)

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding defrosting time

  Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet

  For the baking sheet:

  baking parchment

  For the pastry:

  1 packet (450 g/16 oz) frozen puff pastry

  or

  1 basic recipe puff pastry

  For the marzipan filling:

  200 g/7 oz marzipan

  50 g/2 oz (scant 1⁄2 cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar

  2 tablespoons orange zest, from an untreated orange

  1 medium egg

  For coating and topping:

  1 medium egg

  some blanched flaked almonds

  Per piece:

  P: 7 g, F: 19 g, C: 29 g, kJ: 1306, kcal: 312

  1. Defrost the frozen puff pastry following the instructions on the packet or prepare the puff pastry yourself following the basic recipe. Put the dough layers on top of each other on a floured work surface and roll into a rectangle (60 x 24 cm/24 x 10 in).

  Cut 10 squares (12 x 12 cm/41⁄2 x 41⁄2 in) out of it. Preheat the oven and line the baking sheet with baking parchment.

  2. For the marzipan filling, cut the marzipan into very small pieces and put in a mixing bowl. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the orange zest and stir quickly into the mixture using a hand mixer with whisk at the lowest setting. Beat the egg and stir in little by little with the mixer at the highest setting.

  3. Pipe or spoon the marzipan mixture on one half of each of 10 puff pastry squares using a piping bag with a nozzle (8 mm/1⁄3 in in diameter) or 2 teaspoons. Brush the edges with a little beaten egg and fold down the other half of the square to form a rectangle. Press down the edges firmly. Make several incisions 1 cm/3⁄8 in deep along the long side with a knife and put the pastries on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the rest of the beaten egg, sprinkle the almonds on top and put the baking sheet in the oven.

  Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),

  Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),

  Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet.

  4. Slide the baking parchment with the pastries off the baking sheet and put on rack to cool down.

  Variation: For curd cheese pastries, put 250 g/9 oz curd cheese (low-fat), 1 egg (medium), 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest and 30 g/1 oz (3 tablespoons) sugar in a mixing bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Put the curd cheese filling on the squares of dough. Fold the 2 opposing corners together to form triangles. Brush the triangles with 1 beaten egg (medium) and bake as described in the recipe. To make the apricot glaze, put 3 tablespoons apricot jam and 2 tablespoons water in a small pan and bring to the boil. Brush the pastries with the glaze while they are still hot. Cover with fresh fruit if desired. Make a glaze with 250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) water or fruit juice. Blend 2 teaspoons arrowroot with a little of the liquid, then stir in the rest of the liquid. Bring to the boil while stirring and simmer for 1⁄2–1 minute until it is clear. When cool a little, coat the fruit with it.

  PUFF PASTRY

  102 | Pig’s ears

  Classic–for children (about 60 pieces/3 baking sheets)

  Preparation time: about 25 minutes, excluding defrosting and cooling time

  Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet

  For the baking sheet:

  some fat

  some water

  For the pastry:

  1⁄2 packet (225 g/8 oz) frozen puff pastry

  or

  1⁄2 basic recipe puff pastry

  For coating and topping:

  25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter

  50 g/13⁄4 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar

  3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  In addition:

  some sugar

  Per piece:

  P: 1 g, F: 1 g, C: 2 g, kJ: 88, kcal: 21

  1. Defrost the puff pastry following the instructions on the packet or make it yourself following the instructions in the basic recipe but halving the amounts. Preheat the oven. Grease the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little water.

  2. Melt the butter in a pan and leave to cool down, put the layers on top of each other on a floured work surface, roll out to make a rectangle (55 x 22 cm/22 x 81⁄2 in) and brush with the melted butter. Mix together the sugar and vanilla sugar and sprinkle over the dough. Roll up the dough starting from the two long sides until the edges meet and press firmly together.

  3. Refrigerate the dough until it is firm enough to slice. Then cut into slices 1 cm/3⁄8 in thick, put on the prepared baking sheet and bake in 3 batches.

  Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),

  Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),

  Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet (turn over the pastries after 10 minutes).

  4. Remove the pig’s ears from the baking s
heet, immediately sprinkle with sugar and put on a rack to cool down.

  Tip: Pig’s ears will keep for 2–3 weeks in a well-sealed container.

  PUFF PASTRY

  103 | Schillerlocken (Cream horns)

  Sophisticated–for guests (12 pieces/2 baking sheets)

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding defrosting and cooling time

  Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet

  For the baking sheet:

  some fat

  some water

  6 cream horn moulds

  For the pastry:

  1 packet (450 g/16 oz) frozen puff pastry

  or

  1 basic recipe puff pastry

  In addition:

  yolk of 1 medium egg

  2 teaspoons milk

  50 g/2 oz blanched flaked almonds

  60 g/2 oz (1⁄4 cup) sugar crystals

  For the filling:

  400 ml/14 fl oz (13⁄4 cups) chilled whipping cream

  2 heaped teaspoons sugar

  2 teaspoons each orange marmalade, raspberry jam, grated chocolate

  Per piece:

  P: 4 g, F: 22 g, C: 22 g, kJ: 1254, kcal: 300

  1. Defrost the puff pastry following the instructions on the packet or make it yourself following the instructions in the basic recipe.

  Preheat the oven. Grease the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little water.

  2. Put half the dough layers on top of each other (or using half the dough) on a floured work surface and roll into a rectangle (40 x 24 cm 16 x 91⁄2 in). Using a pastry wheel, cut the dough lengthways into 6 strips 4 cm/11⁄2 in wide.

  3. Rinse 6 cream horn moulds in cold water. Starting from the pointed end, wrap each strip round the metal mould in such a way that it always overlaps slightly.

  4. Beat together the egg yolk and milk and brush the cream horns with it. Mix together the almonds and sugar crystals and roll the horns in this mixture. Put the horn moulds on the prepared baking sheet and put the baking sheet in the oven.

  Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),

  Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),

  Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet (turn over the pastries after 10 minutes).

  5. Remove the cream horns immediately from the baking sheet and put on a rack to cool down. Make the next batch of 6 cream horns with the rest of the dough in the same way and bake.

  6. To make the filling, whip the cream stiff with sugar. Mix the orange marmalade, raspberry jam and grated chocolate each with one-third of the cream. Pipe the filling into the cream horns using a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle. Then serve the cream horns.

  PUFF PASTRY

  104 | Crispy cushion pastries

  For guests–easy (8 pieces)

  Preparation time: about 40 minutes, excluding defrosting and cooling time

  Baking time: about 20 minutes

  For the baking sheet:

  some fat

  some water

  For the pastry:

  1⁄2 packet (225 g/8 oz) frozen puff pastry

  or

  1⁄2 basic recipe puff pastry

  For coating:

  1 egg yolk

  2 teaspoons milk

  For the crumble:

  175 g/7 oz (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

  75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar

  100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) soft butter

  For the filling:

  250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) chilled whipping cream

  25 g/1 oz (1⁄4 cup) icing (confectioner’s) sugar

  150 g/5 oz ready-made custard, vanilla flavoured (from the cool cabinet)

  For dusting:

  some icing (confectioner’s) sugar

  Per piece:

  P: 6 g, F: 30 g, C: 48 g, kJ: 2034, kcal: 486

  1. Defrost the puff pastry following the instructions on the packet or make it yourself following the instructions in the basic recipe but halving the amounts. Preheat the oven. Grease the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little water.

  2. Put the dough layers on top of each other (or using half the dough) on a floured work surface and roll into a rectangle (40 x 20 cm/16 x 8 in). Using a sharp knife, cut 8 squares (10 x 10 cm/4 x 4 in) and put on the prepared baking sheet. Stir together the egg yolk and milk and brush over the squares.

  3. To make the crumble, sift the flour into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and softened butter and stir with a hand mixer with whisk until the crumble has the right texture. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the squares and put the baking sheet in the oven.

  Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),

  Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),

  Baking time: about 20 minutes.

  4. Put the cushion pastries on a rack to cool down and carefully cut off the top of each square with a serrated knife.

  5. To make the filling, whip the cream stiff with the sifted icing sugar and fold into the custard. Spread the custard cream on the base of the squares with a piping bag or tablespoon, put the top back on and dust with icing sugar.

  PUFF PASTRY

  105 | Holländische Kirschtorte (Dutch cherry tart)

  Takes some time (about 12 pieces)

  Preparation time: about 60 minutes, excluding defrosting, cooling and resting time

  Baking time: about 15 minutes per layer

  For a springform tin (diameter 28 cm/11 in):

  some fat, some water

  For the pastry:

  1 packet (450 g/16 oz) frozen puff pastry

  or

  1 basic recipe puff pastry

  For the cherry filling:

  1 can or jar sour cherries (drained weight 350 g/12 oz)

  250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) cherry juice (from the can or jar)

  25 g/1 oz (3 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)

  6 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  For the cream filling:

  600 ml/21 oz (21⁄2 cups) chilled whipping cream

  25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) sugar

  3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

  For the icing:

  100 g/31⁄2 oz redcurrant jelly 100 g/31⁄2 oz icing (confectioner’s) sugar

  2–3 tablespoons lemon juice

  Per piece:

  P: 4 g, F: 24 g, C: 46 g, kJ: 1744, kcal: 416

  1. Defrost the puff pastry following the instructions on the packet, or make it yourself following the instructions in the basic recipe.

  Preheat the oven. Grease the springform tin and sprinkle with a little water.

  2. To make each of the 3 bases using frozen pastry, put 3 layers of pastry on top of each other, fold up the projecting corners and roll each one out onto the prepared base of the springform tin. If using basic pastry, divide it into three (do not knead) and roll out each one on the prepared base of the springform tin. Prick the bases several times and let stand for 15 minutes. Then put on a shelf in the oven without the springform tin ring and bake one after the other.

  Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),

  Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),

  Baking time: about 15 minutes per layer.

  3. Remove the puff pastry layers immediately from the springform tin base after taking them out of the oven and put on a rack to cool down.

  4. For the cherry filling, drain the cherries thoroughly in a sieve, collect the juice and reserve 250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup), topping up with water if necessary. Mix together the cornstarch and vanilla sugar, stir in 4 tablespoons of the reserved juice and bring the rest of the juice to the boil. Remove the juice from the heat, add the cornstarch and juice mixture while stirring, and bring to the boil. Stir in the cherries and leave the mixture to cool down.

  5. For the cream filling, whip the cream until stiff together with sugar and vanilla sugar. Put 5 tablespoons of this cream mixture in a piping bag with a large nozzle. Cover one of
the layers first with the cherry filling (leaving 1 cm/3⁄8 in uncovered round the edge), then pipe a ring of cream round the edge surrounding the cherry filling and cover with a layer of cream. Put the second pastry layer on top. Pipe a ring of cream round it and cover the rest of the layer with the remaining cream.

  6. For the icing, bring the jelly to the boil while stirring and spread this over the third pastry layer and leave until it sets. Sift the icing sugar, add lemon juice and stir until the mixture thickens. Pour the icing sugar over the jelly glaze and leave to set. Then cut into 12 slices and reassemble on the cream.

  PUFF PASTRY

  106 | Cheese whorls

  For guests–piquant (25 pieces)

  Preparation time: about 30 minutes, excluding defrosting and waiting time

  Baking time: about 15 minutes

  For the baking sheet:

  some fat

  some water

  For the pastry:

  1⁄2 packet (225 g/8 oz) frozen puff pastry

  For the filling:

  150 g/5 oz Emmental cheese

  1 teaspoon paprika powder

  some coarsely ground pepper

  Per piece:

  P: 2 g, F: 4 g, C: 3 g, kJ: 214, kcal: 51

  1. Defrost the puff pastry following the instructions on the packet or make it yourself following the instructions in the basic recipe, but halving the amount. Preheat the oven. Grease the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little water.

  2. Take half the puff pastry, put the layers on top of each other and roll into a rectangle (25 x 15 cm/10 x 6 in) on a floured work surface. Repeat with the other half.

  3. For the filling, finely grate the Emmental cheese. Sprinkle paprika, pepper and cheese on one of the puff pastry rectangles and place the second rectangle on top. Cut the dough into strips 1 cm/3⁄8 in wide and 15 cm/6 in long using a sharp knife. Twist the ends of the strips in the opposite direction and place on the prepared baking sheet.

  4. Let the sticks rest for 5 minutes and then put the baking sheet in the oven.