Tuesday, November 29

Ten Fairly Simple Pastry Ideas

Technically speaking this is the 350th post that I have written.  However since post number 349 is currently scheduled for publishing on Friday my numbers are all a bit haywire.  Go me for having my Things I Know post all ready to go on Tuesday though.  The fact that it is actually left over from last week when I didn't get it done is only a minor detail.  I guess I should also mention that since I imported all my posts from previous old blogs so my 350 really is a bit hit and miss but still worth a little mention.

Moving right along though.

As you are probably aware today is Tuesday which means Jess over at Diary of SAHM is hosting the iBOT (I blog on Tuesdays) which is why I am trying to pull together something that resembles a decent blog post.  Easier said than done at the minute but I will plod along anyway.

Sif also has a link up today called Ten Things Tuesday and whenever possible I like to join the two together.  I had thought about doing my Christmas Wish List to Santa but I wanted to include some awesome photos and since my Internet is slower than slow at the moment that is not going to happen.  Stay tuned for it though so you know what to get me (just in case).  Keeping with the Christmas theme I contemplated doing a list of all reasons I love the festive season but after a night of sleeping on the floor with a sick child which followed a night of waking up with sick child and wondering if she was planning on emptying her stomach contents on my bed festive is far from what I am today.  But again stay tuned as I have some pretty awesome Christmas things to share this year.

So without further adieu I am going to share with you ten fabulous things you can do with puff pastry.


  1. Apple & Raspberry Scrolls
    Slinky an apple and then chop finely.  If you don't have an apple slinky (I suggest you get one as they are awesome) then peel the apple the old fashioned way and finely chop.  Get some frozen raspberries out and crush them.  Cover a sheet of pastry with the apple and raspberries and sprinkle with sugar.  Roll up and brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Slice log into 4cm (or there abouts) lengths.  Squash cut ends to make a flatish shape. Place on tray (lined with baking paper) and brush once more with milk and place in moderately hot oven for about 15 minutes or until pasty looks brown and flaky.
  2. Cheese & Vegemite Scroll
    Spread vegemite over pastry, sprinkle with grated cheese.  Roll up, slice and cook as per the apple and raspberry. 
  3. Spinach & Feta Slice
    Line a shallow dish with baking paper then place pastry inside.  Spread a thin layer of sauce (tomato or BBQ).  Sprinkle a little grated cheese.  Then put down some baby spinach leaves, roast pumpkin or sweet potato, red capsicum and feta cheese.  You could also add a bit of ham or salami if you so desire.  Place in oven and cook for about 20 minutes
  4. Left Over Party Pies
    One of the staples in our house is Dirt & Worms.  As I like to cook for the masses there is always some dirt left over which when you line some deep muffin trays with pastry turn into delicious little party pies.  Left over meat from taco night can also be used the same way.
  5. Chocolate Twists
    Cover a sheet of pastry with Nutella or the like. Roll up and slice into 2cm chunks.  Now I am not really sure how I do the next part but somehow I manage to stretch and twist them so they look a little like this
    Please excuse my dodgy photo
  6. Jam Twists
    Very similar to the chocolate twists mentioned above only you use your favourite jam instead of a chocolate spread.  These little beauties take about 10-15 and you can have the oven quite hot when you put them in.  Alternatively if you feel like being fiddly cut small circles out of the pastry with a cookie cutter and stack them on top of each other with the jam in between each layer.
  7. Vanilla Slice
    I haven't actually made this before as I only saw it on the pastry box this morning but I love a good vanilla slice so I imagine it won't be long till I give it a go.  I would have linked to the recipe but apparently the brand I buy isn't up to date enough to have a website.  Basically cook the pastry sheets, make some custard put the custard on top of the pastry then another sheet of pastry on top of the custard and refrigerate over night.
  8. Ham & Cheese Scrolls
    Ha! Bet you thought I had moved away from the scroll thing. Tricked you.
    Spread sauce (BBQ or Tomato) on a sheet of pastry, sprinkle ham and cheese over said sheet.  Roll, cut, squash and cook as per other scrolls.  This time sprinkle cheese over the tops rather than sugar though.
  9. Sausage Rolls
    OMG! I can't believe I got this far down the list without mentioning sausage rolls.  Get some sausage mince from your butcher, whack it on some pastry, roll it up brush with milk and cook for about 40 minutes.
  10. Vegetable Pockets
    Yes some might call them pasties but previous experience has taught me that children are not that receptive to the word pasty.  But that might just be mine.  Dice whatever vegies are in your fridge.  Potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot, swede, whatever.  Include some greens like beans, peas and even  broccoli.  The beauty of this one is that it is wrapped in pastry so they can't see what they are eating (esp if you add some sauce).  For this one I like to cut the sheet into four, place the vegies in the middle and then somehow enclose it.  If you are clever, or a chef you can make it real pretty like.  If you are me you just push all the ends together and hope for the best.  These ones take about 30 minutes.
So there you have it, ten pretty simple things to do with pastry.  I wish I could say this was a sponsored post and I have some pastry to share with you all but I don't.  My PR kit is still not even in the pipe line let alone out and about to the masses.  All in good time though.