Sunday, May 2, 2010

Rough Puff Pastry and a Banana Blueberry Tart

Tell me who doesn't love a good airy puff pastry dessert that is freshly baked from the oven. To try making your own classic puff pastry is really not that difficult. However it is not easy when you are living near the equator with average day temperature and humidy levels hovering in the 90s. I have tried making classic puff before but had to constantly put the dough back into the fridge simply because the butter starts oozing out.

So I decided to take the easy way out and compromise with a rough puff pastry dough instead. It is just as good as a classic puff. Although it rises less than a classic puff, the advantage is that it takes less effort and much easier to put together. You can make the dough beforehand, wrap it tightly in clingwrap and keep it in the freezer for about 2 months.

Puff 1


Puff 2


Puff 3


Puff 4


Puff 5


Rough Puff Pastry
Makes 1.2kg of pastry
Recipe Adapted from "Pastry" by Michel Roux


Ingredients:

500g all purpose flour
500g very cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups ice-cold water

Method:

1) Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl.

2) Scatter the butter cubes on top of the flour. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. It does not matter if there larger pieces of butter in the flour mixture as this will help the pastry to be more flaky.

3) Slowly add the water into the flour mixture until it is just combine. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in clingwrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

4) Dust your counter top with flour and roll the dough into a 16" by 8" rectangle. Take one side of the rectangle (long end) and fold it in by 1/3. Then take the right side and fold it in by 1/3. Give the dough a quarter turn and roll it into a rectangle again. Fold it into three again. This would be the first two turns. Wrap the dough in clingwrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

5) Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and give it another two more turns as in (4) above. This makes it a total of 4 turns. The dough is now ready. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

Banana puff 2


Banana Blueberry Tart
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 rectangle piece of puff pastry (about 4" by 4" each)
4 tsp orange marmalade jam
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
15g butter, melted
3 tsp brown sugar

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the puff pastry on the tray. Use a sharp knife to cut a thin border about 5mm in from the edge of the pastry (not cutting all the way through).

2) Brush pastry with jam. Top with banana and blueberries. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Delicious served with ice cream.

Banana puff 3

20 comments:

  1. It's awesome and I think it sl puff well, way way better than some lousy cheap puff pastry you get from the store. And you csn be assured, it's an all butter puff pastry! Love the banana and blueberry combination too. Great job Jo!

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  2. Huge fa of puff pastry, so buttery and flaky! I always use store-bought though, lazy me =P

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  3. You're right about making puff pastry in our hot, humid weather. :( But you did it, and it looks amazing!!! Banana blueberry tart is right up my alley. It's so wholesome and pretty to look at. Your pastries are always perfect, Jo.

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  4. I love buttery fluffy puff sweets too!
    This looks so enticing!

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  5. Yummy this looks really delicious!

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  6. It's awesome you made your own puff pastry!! Love the combinations of banana and berries!

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  7. I can imagine biting into the warm crunchy crust and into the sweet sweet banana blueberry filling. Delicious!!

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  8. kudos for making your own puff pastry! lazy me always use store bought ones. home made tastes better of course :)

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  9. Look delicious.... I'll try it very very soon. :)

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  10. I love the look of your puff pastry!

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  11. Like how you combine banana and blueberries in this tart :)

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  12. can I hope over for tea? making me hungry.

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  13. This tart look fabulous! I love your site. Everything looks so good and beautiful!
    Cheers~

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  14. Oh I like this easier to make puff pastry. To me it look pretty flaky. I am going to try this out the next time I need some puff pastry.

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  15. Thanks for sharing, too! Would love to try this out! This dessert is to die for!!

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  16. Fantabulous!! Now I miss puff pastry (how do I have to drag myself when it comes to puff pastry?)....

    Your pastry is simply beautiful and tempting.. Banana makes a good combo with blueberries

    Sawadee from Bangkok,
    Kris

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  17. I love puff pastry. Banana and blueberry is a great combination. I tried your recipe for the pastry and it puffs really well. Thanks for sharing..the photos helped alot too : )

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  20. I made it, it puff really well but the inside is rubbery seems it did not baked well inside. I baked it for 20 mins 220degrees C. I took it out as it is golden brown. I'm very sad for the result :(

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