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Making pastry is typically one of my favorite things, but not in the summer. It doesn’t matter how much of a pro you are; heat is unforgiving to a delicate, laminated dough. That’s because the butter’s got to be this perfect magical temperature where it’s cold enough that you can handle it without melting but not so chilly it can’t bend and fold between sheets of dough.
I’ve even noticed my favorite bakeries struggling this summer with over-proved dough and butter breaking out of their layered pastries. And I get it. When I was a professional pastry chef, summer was a nightmare. I had to bake all kinds of bread in an unventilated basement that was easily over 100F. In a home kitchen, things may not get so gnarly, but it can be warm enough to make biscuits and pie crust a pain. Luckily frozen puff pastry can be amazing, so you can still get your flake on all summer long.
Make magic happen with frozen puff through proper handling.
THAWING
The best way to thaw frozen puff pastry is to let it sit for 6 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Don’t leave it in the fridge for more than 3 days, as the dough can begin to oxide (especially with all-butter puff). If you open up a forgotten package of refrigerated puff, you may notice grey spots covering it. That means it’s crossed over to the other side.
However, if you’re in a hurry, you can thaw it on the counter until it unfolds easily but is still quite cold. It’s best to place it on a stone or tile counter rather than wood, which will be better at drawing taking off the chill. Flip it every 10 minutes, moving it to a new spot. Depending on the ambient temperture of the room, it can take 30 to 60 minutes to thaw.
If the pastry ever gets too warm and soft, pop it in the fridge to firm up before using. Just as with homemade pastry, heat is the enemy of flaky!
BAKING
Oh boy, do I hate underbaked pastry. And it’s a mistake I see very often because the package directions will lie to you. Some packages of puff pastry claim that it’ll be baked in as little as 20 minutes, totally setting you up for failure. Don’t be afraid of baking your pastry until deeply browned. Not golden or tan, but bronzed like a Norman Rockwell turkey. The French call this bien cuit and it’s the only way to ensure a flaky pastry all the way through.
Giant flaky pastries
You could call this recipe a fruit tart, but I prefer to think of it as a giant Danish. It’s fun and, more importantly, could potentially serve one. Some of you have already made my giant almond croissant, something I thought about while lying in bed hungry. I originally wanted to call it a big-ass almond croissant, but that didn’t fly with NYT naming conventions.
That recipe is not technically a croissant, in the same way this isn’t a Danish. Both croissants and Danishes are made with leavened and laminated doughs, while puff pastry is simply laminated. But it’s got hardcore Danish vibes, so I’m all for the name. Try it with different fruit or level it up with a glaze, and eat the whole thing by yourself if you want, it’s your puff pastry party.
Before you get cooking
WANT TO LEVEL IT UP?
ADD ICING to really hammer those Danish vibes home:
Combine 1 cup (120 grams) of powdered sugar with 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk, lemon juice, buttermilk, or jam, and a pinch of salt.
Add the milk, lemon juice, buttermilk, or jam to the powdered sugar gradually until you’ve got a drizzle-able consistency.
Skip the sprinkling of sugar over the fruit, and instead drizzle over the icing once the pastry has cooled slightly.
PUFF PASTRY NOTES:
There are two leading brands of frozen puff pastry found in the US—Pepperidge Farm and DuFour. Pepperidge Farm puff pastry comes in a 17.3-ounce box with two sheets and is made with vegetable oil. DuFour puff pastry is sold in a 14-ounce box with one sheet and is made with butter. Either will work here, but I prefer DuFour because the sheets are thicker, and you get the flavor of real butter. Note that Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets are thinner and bake up faster.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
LABNE is a super thick yogurt. Think Greek yogurt that’s been strained further until it’s ultra-rich. Depending on the brand, labne can be spoonable, spreadable, or so thick it’s like cheese. Any kind will work here. If you can’t find labne, try a mix of ½ cup Greek yogurt and ½ cup cream cheese. If you want extra decadence, swap the 1 cup of labne for a full cup (8 ounces) of cream cheese.
STONE FRUIT is at its peak in New York right now, so that’s what I’m loading up my danish with, but feel free to use any ripe fruit, like berries, grapes, pears, mangos, and more.
PS: Get savory with puff and make this Eggplant & Goat Cheese Tart (use that late summer eggplant, baby!)
Giant Fruit & Custard Danish
serves 8 | active time: 30 minutes | total time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (see note)
2 large eggs
1 cup labne
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or ½ teaspoon vanilla paste)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ pounds assorted stone fruit, like plums, peaches, and cherries
turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar), for sprinkling
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
Unfold thawed puff pastry onto the lined baking sheet. Use a sharp paring knife to score a 1-inch border around the sheet, taking care not to cut through the pastry. Use a fork to prick all over the pastry within the border.
Transfer to the oven and bake until golden and puffed, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to press down the pastry within the border.
While puff pastry bakes,
Prepare the filling: In medium bowl, whisk eggs until well combined. Add labne, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until well combined.
Cut the fruit: Cut the larger stone fruit in half, remove the pits, and slice into thin wedges. Cut the cherries in half and remove the pits.
Spread the filling in an even layer within the border of the pastry. Arrange fruit on top and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Return to oven to bake until deeply browned around the edges and the fruit is bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Transfer to a rack to cook slightly, then serve warm or at room temperature.
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I wish stone fruit was in season at the moment!!! We bought puff pastry this morning and made it with strawberries (and some questionable green apples from the fruit bowl lol). Kids LOVED it.
LOVE the very idea of this. And of course I just happen to have a fridge full of ripe peaches, nectarines and plums, as well as some frozen all-butter puff made by a fantastic local-to-me bakery. Might pop some fresh wild raspberries on there as well, I'm thinking. Looking forward to it, since I especially love anything custardy + fruity. Yum.