50 Flaky, Crunchy, Delicious Appetizers, Entrées, and Desserts Made with Puff Pastry

Photographs by Ngoc Minh Ngo

Martha has changed me and my attitude on puff pastry. While she tells us how to make puff pastry she admits that we need not do it.  All of the recipes in "Puff" were tested with frozen pastry.

"Puff" also opened my eyes to the wide variety of things that can be made with puff pastry - appetizers, main dishes, sides, and desserts.  Martha's recipes are simple to make, produce delicious dishes, and are impressive to serve whether at parties or a family meal. 

But the part I liked the most about "Puff" is Martha's helpful details on how to use this amazing ingredient to create great dishes with minimal effort when entertaining.  Throughout the book Martha presents a "Do ahead" section that tells you how to make the dish before the big event.

I served "Wild Salmon In Pastry With Savory Mushroom Stuffing And Lemon-Caper Beurre Blanc" on New Year's Eve.  It was an elegant meal that impressed my dinner guests by its sophistication. It also impressed them because they knew I was gone all day and only returned home minutes before they arrived.  Thanks to Martha I was able to prepare everything the evening before and simply toss the salmon in the oven when my guests arrived.

Photographs by Ngoc Minh Ngo

Pancetta, Parmesan, and Pepper Quiches

From Puff: 50 Flaky, Crunchy, Delicious Appetizers, Entrées, and Desserts Made with Puff Pastry by Martha Holmberg. Chronicle 2008.

Makes 36 mini quiches

These are killer for entertaining because of the way you make them ahead and freeze (I stole this idea from a recipe by Kate Hays published in Fine Cooking magazine. Thanks, Kate!) You fill your tartlets, freeze the unbaked quiches, pop out the frozen "pucks" of quiche, and pile them into a freezer bag. When you're ready to serve, just drop the pucks back into a tartlet pan or mini muffin tin and bake. My muffin tin has 18 cups that are 2 inches across and hold 1 ounce. You could use a different size, but if your cups are larger, you'll get fewer quiches and will need to increase the cooking time a bit. I love using pancetta, but regular smoked bacon would be fine.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 small red bell pepper (about 5 ounces), cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped and seeded jalapeño or other fresh, medium-hot green chile (from one 1-ounce chile)
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
• 1 cup (2 ounces) freshly and finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 ounces (1 cup) freshly shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or other ground red pepper such as piment d'Espelette
• 2 sheets (about 9 ounces each) frozen puff pastry, thawed

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, add the pancetta, and cook, stirring, until most of the fat has rendered and the pieces are browned, 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your slices. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat, add the red bell pepper and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, soft, and browned around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the jalapeño and continue cooking until all the peppers are completely tender, another 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream, then stir in the cooked peppers, Parmesan, cheddar, and cooked pancetta. Season with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and cayenne.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease the insides of two or three mini muffin tins (depending on how many cups yours has, or just bake in batches). On a lightly floured counter, roll one sheet of pastry into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. With a 3-inch pastry cutter, stamp out 18 rounds. Press the rounds into the muffin cups, and fill each one completely with about 1 tablespoon filling. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry and the remaining filling (save the scraps for another use or discard). Bake until the filling is puffed and golden and the crust is a rich golden brown, about 17 to 20 minutes. Let the quiches cool a few minutes for the best flavor; they should lift out of the muffin tin easily.

Do ahead: Freeze the unbaked quiches in the muffin tin until completely firm, two to three hours. Pop them out of the pan and put them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to one month. To cook, put the frozen quiches back into the muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Profiteroles with Coffee Cream, Rich Chocolate Espresso Sauce, and Toasted Almonds

From Puff: 50 Flaky, Crunchy, Delicious Appetizers, Entrées, and Desserts Made with Puff Pastry by Martha Holmberg. Chronicle 2008.

Serves 6 to 12

Profiteroles are a classic French bistro dessert that elicits the same response from everyone: yum. Traditionally, they're made from small choux-pastry puffs filled with either pastry cream or ice cream, piled in a bowl, and drizzled with warm chocolate sauce. In this version, I use small puffs of deep-fried puff pastry, which has two advantages: It's quicker and simpler than preparing choux pastry, and the texture is crisp and ethereally light. I'm using a mocha-almond flavor theme here, but you could use plain whipped cream and chocolate sauce, or any flavor combo you like. I think three puffs is a perfect ending for a big dinner; however, I know plenty of people who would welcome a six-puff serving.

• 2 tablespoons espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon very hot water
• 1 cup very cold whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup mascarpone, stirred to loosen
• 1 sheet (about 9 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 to 2 quarts (depending on the size of your pan) canola, peanut, or other neutral oil for frying
• Rich Chocolate Espresso Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted in a 350-degree F oven (about 8 minutes)

In a small bowl, stir the espresso powder with the hot water until dissolved. In a cold stainless-steel bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks; sprinkle in the sugar, vanilla, salt and espresso, and continue whipping until the cream holds firm peaks (be careful not to over whip or it will looked curdled). Using a rubber spatula, mix about a quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone, stirring until smooth. Fold the mascarpone into the remaining whipped cream until the mixture is smooth; taste and add a bit more sugar if you like. Transfer the cream into a gallon-sized plastic bag or a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip. Keep cold.

On a lightly floured counter, roll the pastry lightly just to smooth it out to about a 9 1/2-inch square. Cut it into 6 strips, then cut each strip into 6 pieces, to make 36 squares.

Lay several sheets of paper towel on a plate or tray. Pour oil into a large (at least 4 quart), heavy-based pan to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches and heat to 400 degrees F; use a deep-frying or candy thermometer to monitor the heat. Test the temperature with one piece of pastry: Gently drop it into the oil and fry, flipping constantly using tongs or a fork, until the pastry is very puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes. With a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to the paper towels. When it's cool enough to handle, taste it to be sure the inside is cooked enough-it should be moist but very airy and not doughy inside.

Continue with the rest of the pastry, cooking about 5 at a time. Be sure to keep the oil temperature as even as possible. Move the pan off the heat if you need to cool it down a bit. Keep the cooked puffs in an airtight container until you're ready to fill, just before serving.

To assemble the profiteroles, snip about 1/2 inch from the corner of the plastic bag. Poke a small hole in the side of each puff and pipe in about 1-2 teaspoons of cream. Pile the puffs into shallow bowls or onto dessert plates (3 to 6 per person, depending on your portion size), drizzle with Rich Chocolate Espresso Sauce, and sprinkle with the almonds.

Serve immediately.

Do ahead: You can make the cream filling, sauce, and toasted almonds a day ahead.

Rich Chocolate Espresso Sauce

From Puff: 50 Flaky, Crunchy, Delicious Appetizers, Entrées, and Desserts Made with Puff Pastry by Martha Holmberg. Chronicle 2008.

Makes about 1 cup

This sauce is a natural for a scoop of coffee ice cream, so keep some extra in your freezer for quick desserts.

• 3/4 cup heavy cream or crème fraiche
• 5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat the cream until it just begins to simmer. Remove it from the heat and add the chocolate, espresso powder, and salt, and let sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Whisk until everything is combined and the sauce is smooth. When you're ready to serve, if the sauce seems a little thick, whisk in a few spoonfuls of very hot water to loosen.

Do ahead: You can refrigerate the sauce for up to two weeks or freeze it for up to two months.

About Puff: 50 Flaky, Crunchy, Delicious Appetizers, Entrées, and Desserts Made with Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is the flaky crispy secret to savory appetizers elegant entrées and decadent desserts. And with quality pre-made puff pastry available at local supermarkets it's a breeze to make the dozens of impressive recipes in this cookbook. Instructions for making puff pastry from scratch will ensure French boulangerie results. The author gives sage advice on techniques for getting the most out of the dough plus which ingredients and equipment should be stocked in the pantry. With treats like Ham Gruyère and Dijon Palmiers and Roasted Tomato Tarts Puff is a breath of fresh air in the kitchen.

Available at Amazon.com

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