I wonder how the days were when there was no puff pastry in the freezer.
Making a puff pastry is an art, an art of being patient. The dough is breathtakingly soft and pliable.  There is an aura of romantacism while you handle the dough and roll carefully, quarter turns  and striping/dotting  The ingredients are just a few, but so many small details go into making the dough.  I had little clue until then about the process, and  how amazingly flaky, pure buttery it would be. The first bite I took after we baked one batch just blew my socks off. I instinctively remember closing my eyes and tasting the butter, the flakiness and the gazillion layers so thin and crispy.  The effort paid off.
I signed up for my pastry workshop in San Francisco. It was on a cool September day more than a decade ago. Happily waking up at 5.30 that morning, I dreamt of a relaxing day, doing what I loved, filled with laughter and getting to know fellow food lovers. People rolling dough and looking all professional with hats and clean shoes is what was going through my mind as I sat on the bart that day. On the contrary, we were working in a cold room(mind you, I am very intolerant to cold temperatures and I get hives immediately), butter and flour on my jeans, my extra long hair in a bun was saved with the tall hat. It didn’t look anywhere like it looks in movies and books. Our pastry chef of the day was definitely not in the best of moods, although he was a great teacher.  We learnt a lot, we made phyllo dough that day too. I absorbed  so much that I was seriously sleeping and lethargic for the next few days.
My first batch was passable and I was a proud mama to a rectangular flaky buttery dough which I carried home and refused to bake for a week. 🙂
As much as I liked the process of puff pastry which took hours, the  aching arms and the smell of butter lingering for days just makes me prefer the store bought ones.  It’s one of those things I will take a short cut.
With some puff pastry sheets, few apples and some almonds, you have a stunning dessert/breakfast or tea time snack in 30 minutes. Â Pastry cream is so easy, this tastes so incredibly good and almost feels like you are eating at some nice patisserie.
You can make this with rhubarb, pears, and any stone fruit you like. Which ever fruit is in season.
I am making 100 of them for a party this weekend, so wish me luck. Â Leaving you with an easy dessert.
Happy Weekend!!
Asha
- 4 sheet of frozen puff pastry sheet(keep it refrigerated until use)
- 2 large crisp apples thinly sliced
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter(at room temperature)
- pinch of cardamom powder(optional)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ tsp lemon zest
- Sugar for sprinkling.
- Egg wash(1/2 egg beaten)
- Use a food processor to powder the almonds. Once it is powdered, add the egg, butter, all purpose flour, cardamom powder, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Process it until it all comes together in a smooth ball. Take it out and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Roll the puff pastry sheets and cut out circles. Transfer to a baking tray. Spread a tbsp of the Almond filling on each. Add some apple slices. Make sure to leave ½ inch space at the edge. Sprinkle with some sugar.
- Brush the outside edge with some egg wash.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes in a 400degree oven. Take it out and cool on a cooling rack.
- Serve.
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Oh my, these are absolutely stunning, Asha! I love making things with puffed pastry but always buy it. May be one day I will make my own 🙂
Thanks a ton. It’s so so much easier and the result is awesome with store bought. Definitely is fun learning it too.
Happy weekend dear.
xx
totally, I also learnt how to make puff pastry when I took a class…it was all wonderful but I mostly use the store bought. You know somethings are better with shortcuts and puff pastry is one of those things! these tarts are delicious, love the almond and cardamom!
Oh yes, I remember your post on puff pastry too. Love it but yes, short cut for this is a good one;).
Thanks dear.
I made puff pastry twice in school and while it was quite the process, I did love it. I have yet to make it at home but one day! Yours looks amazing, Ash, and these tarts are so gorgeous! The cardamom, apple, and almonds sound like one amazing combination, and your house had to smell so good while these baked!
I remember your pastry school days, you baked some fun yummy stuff. Thanks so much Marcie. It sure was so so good, the home did smell so delicious. Have a great weekend dear.
xx
I remember your pastry school days, so much yumminess you had baked. Thanks Marcie, this was so good, easy and yes, our smelled delicious. Have a good weekend. xx
I know what you mean. It can be such a time commitment. But when I eat home made puff I’m in heaven although I do reach for the pre made stuff when I don’t have time.
I haven’t made my own puff pastry since culinary school, while the taste and texture was outrageously delicious, my patience just can’t handle it… plus I’m one of those people who needs immediate gratification. When I want puff pastry I want it NOW. 😉 Thank goodness for the frozen kind! LOVE these tarts, Asha! Talk about beautiful and FULL of fabulous flavor! These look beyond delicious! I could gobble these up in a heartbeat! Cheers, dear – to a weekend as wonderful as YOU! XO
These tarts are gorgeous!
Beautiful and delicious… Apples, almond, lemon, and especially cardamom are amazing ingredients that would make any treat THE TREAT.
You made 100 of them?! Woah, I can imagine how amazing your house must have smelled! I hope it all went well. These looks perfectly delicious…I’m sure everyone flipped for them! : ) Puff pastry is one of those things I’ve never felt an urge to try to make from scratch at home. I’m all for the store-bought on that one.
They look super inviting!
I wish I could have one of those right now! I tried puff pastry once or twice. It was a buttery fail! Haha. The apple tarts are beautiful though and I will definitely have to make them myself.
Everyone should probably make puff pastry once. But once is enough — after that, frozen is the way to go! And I happen to have some in my freezer right now. Hmmm, I wonder how I could use it? 🙂 Really nice recipe — thanks.
These are so stunning Asha! I completely agree on the convenience of the store bought puff pastry. As much as I love working for hours in the kitchen, you cant compete with the usefulness of the store bought puff pastry. We have complicated lives already so why not let some things be simple right?
I bet all that effort paid off and they were delicious. I love what you decided to do with the dough. Fruit and puff pastries is always a great combination.
xx Yasmin
http://banglesandbungalows.com
Apple tarts are one of my favorite treats, especially with a cup of tea. I’ve always wondered about the process of making puff pastry. It sounds as intimidating as making croissants do to me, but both are on my “to make” bucket list, next to macarons 🙂 I think I’ll also stick with the store-bought for now. Why not make life easier, right?! Will have to try these tarts soon..My hubby loves anything with apples and I know he’d be very surprised if I made this for him!
I totally agree. I don’t know what people did without pre-packed puff pastry before. It makes making these desserts so much easier…I love cardamon anything so I am sure these would be of my liking, after all, anything sweet and homemade is right up my alley 🙂
First of all. . .good luck making all those pastries for the party. You are one patient women if you effortlessly pull this off (which I’m sure you will). Second, hip, hip hurray for refrigerated puff pastry!! I don’t know what I would do without it. Now that I said that. . I am feeling a sense of embarrassment for being such a lazy daisy and not making my own from scratch. Perhaps it is high time for that. . .and what a great way to start then with these beauties.
A pastry class is on my list of things to do one of these days. I can’t wait to learn how to make delicate things like puff pastry from scratch but until then, I totally am all about the package ones in my freezer. I love the simple spices (esp cardamon) in these.
I love that you made your own pastry Ash! There was a time when I would swear by making my own pastry and did it religiously for a few years. After kids, I am all about store bought. But yes, I know the feeling when your labour of love turns into something spectacular. So well done my friend! You’ve chosen such amazing flavours for them and of course, they look absolutely pretty!
Gorgeous apple tarts, Ash! Thank you for sharing the tale of your class in pastry arts. I can just picture it all…right down to the slightly grumpy pastry chef instructor. 😉 You are so right…what would we do these days without frozen puff pastry especially around the busy holiday season? I’m loving your almond filling with a whisper of cardamom. Heavenly scrumptious! I just know everyone must have been impressed with this special dessert at the party! Thanks for sharing, my friend. Have a fabulous week ahead! xo
I love pairing cardamom with apples, it’s such a winning flavor combo.
These tarts look amazing btw, so gorgeous!
A. Those look amazing. B. You used cardamom again, and we LOVE it!:)
Excellent, easy recipe Ash; we enjoyed so much reading about the reality of the cooking class vs the romantic idea you had in mind!:) We were amazed to read that he also taught you how to make phyllo. Phyllo is not very easy to make, as it must be thin and yet hard enough that it produces a crunchy result when baked.
And of course puff pastry;one of the most time consuming jobs is making that one!:) Yes, these days we can all easily find some in the stores, but we must be thorough checking out the ingredients as some companies are using trans fats instead of pure butter.
We both loved how easy this recipe is, and the result is so yummy!
Thanx so much dear Ash!
Pinned!
xoxoxo
Oh wow – these look amazing – love love love the apple/cardamom combo! Your puff pastry crust looks magnificent!
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