There are lots of recipes where you can make a short cut and this is no exception. You could buy some puff pastry but I’ve written this recipe in the hope that you will take the time to make this delicious melt in the mouth flakey pastry which makes everything taste so much better.
It’s just about planning, put the butter in the freezer an hour before you star , I am helped by the fact that I keep my flour out in cold room. You can add the simplest ingredients and come up with something sublime. Just remember with pastry making; cold, cold, cold
These are delightful as a starter with salad on the side and if you have extra, they keep for up to 2 days in a sealed container in the fridge, just refresh in the oven.
Fill your puffs with anything you like. I have used brie but the obvious choice would be grated cheddar. When it’s in season, add some asparagus.
MAKES 6 PUFFS
Pastry
200g plain flour
150g unsalted butter, frozen
5g salt
60-80ml water
First make your flakey pastry. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Grate in the frozen butter. Using just your finger tips, toss the butter in the flour.. Add half the water and start to bring together. Add more water until you are able to bring it together as a dough. You should be able to see pieces of butter not mixed in. Form into one piece, wrap and put in the fridge an hour to rest.
Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Line a baking tray with baking parchment
Roll out the dough and cut out 4-6 x 10cm squares, using leftover pastry to make extra squares.
Looking at the pastry as a diamond, smear some dijon from one tip to the other, top with ham then brie. Using a brush, paint a corner of the pasty with the beaten yolk. wrap over one side of pasty then fold over the side with egg yolk and seal. repeat this for all the puffs. When all are done, brush the puffs all over with the yolk and bake for 25 minutes
Flakey pastry
- 200 g plain flour
- 150 g unsalted butter frozen
- 1 pinch salt
- 100 ml water
Filling
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 150 g cooked ham
- 200 g brie sliced
- 1 egg yolk beaten with a teaspoon of water
Instructions
First make your flakey pastry.
- Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Grate in the frozen butter.
- Using just your finger tips, toss the butter in the flour.
- Add half the water and start to bring together. Add more water until you are able to bring it together as a dough.
- You should be able to see pieces of butter not mixed in. Form into one piece, wrap and put in the fridge an hour to rest.
Make the Puffs
- Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Line a baking tray with baking parchment
- Roll out the dough and cut out 4 x 10cm squares, using leftover pastry to make extra squares.
- Looking at the pastry as a diamond, smear some dijon from one tip to the other, top with ham then Brie.
- Using a brush, paint a corner of the pasty with the beaten yolk. Wrap over one side of pasty then fold over the side with egg yolk and seal.
- Repeat this for all the puffs. When all are done, brush the puffs all over with the yolk and bake for 25 minutes
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