4 Spectacular Snacks With Puff Pastry
Puff pastry is one of the most versatile ingredients out there. Used for both sweet and savory dishes in all kinds of formats, it's an important kitchen staple that we would be completely lost without! We've created our fair share of recipes using puff pastry as the base, but we'll never get tired of this easy-to-use, delicious ingredient. And these 4 spectacular snacks with puff pastry are some of our best ideas yet! From sweet puff pastry eclair cups to lemon meringue boats, single-serving breakfast cups to egg & cheese pockets, all 4 recipes hit all the right spots. Whether you're craving a sweet or a savory treat, these amazing recipes will definitely get you prepared for your next snack attack!
1. Puff Pastry Eclair Cups
Yield: 3
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
You'll Need:
- 3 ice cream cups
- 1 puff pastry sheet, cut into strips
- 2 whisked egg yolks + milk for the egg wash
- ¾ cup vanilla pudding
- 3 round cookies
- 7 oz semi-sweet chocolate, tempered
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ¾ stick butter
Here's How:
1.1 Preheat the oven to 350°F, line a baking tray with parchment paper, and position 3 tall glasses upside down on the baking tray. Cut the puff pastry dough into 6 equally sized strips, each 1 x 12 inches. Wrap 2 strips of puff pastry dough around each ice cream cup so that the outside is covered, then place them face down on the glasses on the baking tray. Whisk the egg yolks along with some milk to make the egg wash and brush it over the surface of the puff pastry dough. Transfer the baking tray to the oven and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Once the puff pastry ice cream cups have baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
1.2 Spoon the vanilla pudding into the ice cream cups and place 1 round cookie on top.
1.3 Temper the semi-sweet chocolate and heat it along with the butter over a double boiler, dip the puff pastry eclair cups into the tempered semi-sweet chocolate, and sprinkle them with shredded coconut.
2. Puff Pastry Breakfast Flower Cups
Yield: 3
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
You'll Need:
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- ⅔ cup cream cheese
- 3 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
- 9 slices of ham
- 3 eggs
Here's How:
2.1 Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease 3 wells of a muffin pan. Cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 3 equally sized 2 x 12-inch strips and 3 circles the same size as the wells of the muffin pan. Line the edges of the 3 greased wells in the muffin pan with 1 strip and 1 circular piece of puff pastry dough, letting the pieces of dough overlap slightly. Lightly press the edges together, sealing the dough.
2.2 Stir the cream cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto together and spoon the mixture into the puff pastry-lined wells.
2.3 Cut the slices of ham in half and place 6 halves around the inside edge of the puff pastry dough, overlapping them slightly so that they look like the pedals of a flower. Crack 1 egg directly into each of the 3 filled wells of the muffin pan.
2.4 Transfer the muffin pan to the oven and bake the breakfast flower cups at 350°F for 20 minutes.
3. Egg & Cheese Puff Pastry Pockets
Yield: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
You'll Need:
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- 4 cherry tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup grated cheddar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whisked egg yolk + milk for the egg wash
- chopped chives for the garnish
Here's How:
3.1 Preheat the oven to 350°F, line a baking tray with parchment paper, and cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 2 squares, each 5 x 5 inches. Make 4 diagonal cuts, 1 from each corner of the square piece of puff pastry dough, making sure each cut stops after about 1 inch. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place 1 half in the center of each side of the dough.
3.2 Fold the corners of dough inwards towards the center and press down lightly to keep the dough in place. Grate some cheddar cheese directly onto the center of the puff pastry pockets and spoon an egg yolk on top.
3.3 Whisk together 1 egg yolk and some milk for the egg wash and brush it over the surface of the puff pastry dough. Place the puff pastry pockets on the baking tray, transfer the baking tray to the oven, and bake them at 350°F for 15 minutes. Garnish the egg & cheese puff pastry pockets with chopped chives to serve.
4. Lemon Meringue Puff Pastry Boats
Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
You'll Need:
For the lemon curd:
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- ¾ stick butter
For the puff pastry boats:
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- 2 whisked egg yolks for the egg wash
- lemon zest & mint for the garnish
For the meringue:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 pinch of salt
- ½ cup sugar
Extra:
- ovular plastic lid
- culinary torch
- piping bag
Here's How:
4.1 Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. For the lemon curd, mix together the lemon juice, sugar, egg & egg yolks, and corn starch in a saucepan. Heat the mixture slowly until it starts to thicken, then stir in the butter. Once the butter is incorporated into the mixture, remove the lemon curd from the heat, let it cool slightly, then transfer it to a piping bag.
4.2 Cut the sheet of puff pastry dough into 8 ovular pieces using an ovular plastic lid. Whisk the egg yolks for the egg wash and brush it over the surface of the ovular pieces of dough. Pipe the lemon curd onto the pieces of dough, then place them on the baking tray. Transfer the baking tray to the oven and bake the puff pastry boats at 350°F for 15 minutes. Remove the baking tray from the oven and let the puff pastry boats cool.
4.3 For the meringue, beat the egg whites together with the salt and once combined, slowly add in the sugar. Beat the meringue until the mixture is firm and smooth, then transfer it to a piping bag and pipe it on top of the lemon layer on the puff pastry boats. Use a culinary torch to heat the meringue until golden brown. Garnish the lemon meringue puff pastry boats with lemon zest and fresh mint to serve.
These 4 puff pastry recipes are all amazingly quick & easy ways to serve delicious snacks using puff pastry dough. The possibilities with puff pastry are truly endless!