Tiffany Haney
Puff pastry is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of sweet and savoury dishes. It can be used as a base for tarts, folded into breakfast turnovers, or baked into cups for appetizers. One unique way to bake puff pastry is in a muffin pan, creating individual puff pastry cups that can be filled with sweet or savoury fillings. This method involves cutting the puff pastry into squares and placing them into the wells of a cupcake pan, creating deeper cups, or placing the pan upside down and forming the pastry around the cups, resulting in shallow cups. The pastry cups are then baked until lightly browned and filled with your desired filling.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Oven temperature | 400°F |
| Bake time | 20 to 25 minutes |
| Dough thickness | 1/8 to 1/4 inch |
| Dough shape | 6-8 squares |
| Dough preparation | Defrost, roll, cut, pierce with a fork |
| Pan preparation | Turn cupcake pan upside down, place a square of dough over each cup and press around the cup to form a bowl shape |
| Baking | Lay a sheet of parchment paper or a Silpat mat over the top and then a flat baking sheet on top of that |
| Baking time | 12-15 minutes |
| Outcome | Lightly browned |
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What You'll Learn
Defrosting and rolling out the puff pastry
To defrost your puff pastry, it is best to plan ahead and leave the pastry to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. This slow thawing process will keep the dough at a cool temperature, ensuring the butter layers stay intact. If you are short on time, you can defrost puff pastry in the microwave. First, remove one pastry sheet from the box and outer wrapping, then wrap it in a paper towel. Microwave on high for 15 seconds, then turn the pastry sheet over and microwave for another 15 seconds. If the pastry doesn't unfold easily, microwave each side for an additional 5 seconds.
Once the pastry is thawed, it is important to work quickly while it is still cold. You can cut the pastry into your desired shape and then store it in the fridge until you are ready for the next step. Puff pastry works best when cold, so it is recommended to chill your tools, such as knives, cutters, and pans, while you are thawing your pastry.
When you are ready to roll out your puff pastry, use a long, heavy rolling pin to create an even thickness. Dust your work surface and rolling pin lightly with flour to prevent sticking. Roll the pastry dough into a rectangle or square, aiming for a thickness of about ⅛" (3 mm). If your pastry has creases, use the rolling pin to gently roll over them, being careful not to over-roll the pastry.
Once the pastry is rolled out, you can cut it into the desired shape. For making puff pastry cups in a muffin pan, roll out the dough until the cupcake pan fits over it. Then, use the cupcake wells as markers to cut the dough into equal-size squares. It is recommended to use a sharp knife or the back of a butter knife to cut the dough, as serrated knives can tear the pastry. After cutting, pierce holes in the dough with a fork to prevent puffing during baking.
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Cutting the pastry into 12 equal squares
Once you have your initial square, you can begin to divide it into smaller squares. One method is to cut the square in half, both vertically and horizontally, creating four smaller squares. Then, take each of these four sections and repeat the process, cutting them in half vertically and horizontally to create 16 small squares. From here, select any four adjacent squares and cut them diagonally to create the desired number of 12 equal squares.
Another approach is to cut the pastry into strips. First, cut the pastry into strips of equal width, then cut these strips into equal-sized squares. This method ensures uniformity in size.
Remember to handle the pastry dough gently and use a sharp knife to avoid squishing or tearing the pastry. If you're cutting a large number of squares, it's a good idea to wrap and chill the unused dough in the refrigerator to keep it firm and easy to work with.
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Placing the pastry in the muffin pan
To make shallow puff pastry cups, first, defrost your puff pastry sheet and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. The sheet should be large enough that your cupcake pan can fit over it. Using the cupcake wells as markers, cut the dough into 12 equal-sized squares. Then, pierce holes in the dough with a fork. Turn your cupcake pan upside down and lay a square of dough over each cup. Lightly press around the cup to form a bowl shape.
For deeper puff pastry cups, place the squares of dough into the wells of the cupcake pan instead of on top of the cups.
You can also choose to bake the puff pastry inside the muffin cups and fill them later.
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Baking the pastry cups
To make puff pastry cups, you will first need to defrost your puff pastry sheet. Once it is thawed, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until the cupcake pan fits over it. Using the cupcake wells as markers, mark the dough where it needs to be cut to make 12 equal-size squares. Cut the dough and pierce holes in it with a fork.
For shallow cups, turn your cupcake pan upside down, lay a square of dough over each cup, and press around the cup to form a bowl shape. Lay a sheet of parchment paper or a Silpat mat over the top and then a flat baking sheet on top of that. This will keep the base of the cups from rising too much.
For deeper cups, place the squares of dough into the wells of the cupcake pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400°F until lightly browned. If you are making deeper cups, use the back of a spoon to press the dough down to form a well.
Let the cups cool and then remove them from the pan. Your puff pastry cups are now ready to be filled! You can fill them with anything from sweet to savoury options.
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Removing the cups from the pan
Once your puff pastry cups are lightly browned, remove them from the oven and let them cool. It is important that you let them cool down before attempting to remove them from the pan, as this will help them to set and keep their shape.
When the cups have cooled, gently lift them out of the muffin pan. You can use your fingers or a small offset spatula to do this. Be careful not to tear the pastry as you lift them out. If you find that the cups are sticking to the pan, you can try running a knife or offset spatula around the edge of each cup to loosen it before lifting.
If you baked your cups in a non-stick pan, they should come out fairly easily. However, if you used a regular pan, you may need to be more careful when removing them to avoid tearing.
Once you have removed all the cups from the pan, you can fill them with your desired filling. Whether you made shallow or deep puff pastry cups, they can be filled with sweet or savoury fillings.
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Frequently asked questions
First, defrost your puff pastry sheet and roll it out on a lightly floured surface until the cupcake pan fits over it.
Place the squares of dough into the wells of the cupcake pan instead of placing the pan upside down and placing the dough over each cup.
Bake the puff pastry cups for 12-15 minutes at 400°F until lightly browned.
