Treats from Leftover Pastry Dough

[jedovaty]

(Note: This topic was split from the Monkey Bread topic, to keep both discussions focused and relevant to the question at hand.)

I made inverse puff pastry last week for "chasson aux pommes" (apple turnovers).  Never made puff pastry before.  Beginner's luck, turned out beyond expectations, super layers, butter, crisp exterior, tender honeycomb inerior (even without yeast!!), lightly sweet, slightly tart, it took every bit of will power not to eat them before taking them to work. 

Based on all the suggestions, I saved the scraps, and additionally separated them by size and shape.  Seems like I can make something called "monkey bread", but I have no clue what that actually is.  I've researched it, and it seems I should just bunch it up with sugar and bake... but these aren't yeasted, sooooo wouldn't bunching these up screw up the layers and make more of a pie dough squishy thing?

Reading the forums, with puff pastry I can make little cookies or crackers or other things.  But I'm not quite sure how to do this?  They are kind of small to twist into sticks or roll into arlettes?  Help please and thank you??? 🤝

For now, I've put scraps in the freezer.

Edited November 16, 2019 by jedovaty
since post was split, I removed the silly command :) (log)

[kayb]

Monkey bread is usually balls of yeasted dough, rolled in sugar, piled in a pan, melted butter poured over all, and baked. I don't know that that would work so well with puff pastry scraps.

 

How about if you laid them all out flat, brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, and baked? Sort of like have-it-with-coffee snacks?

 

I used to bake pie crust trimmings just plain, then brush with melted butter and eat. Cook's treat.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

What kayb said.    This is one of my favorite dinner party dessert accompaniment: a giant cookie that you serve on a platter and let guests break apart.  

I'd just very gently roll the scraps together and bake as a slab.

 

eta, it really looks a lot more elegant in person than in the site photo.

Edited November 11, 2019 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[Toliver]

My mom would take the pie crust trimmings and form a ball. Then she would roll it out flat, spread it with butter then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll into a log, then slice just under 1-inch log pieces. Lay them on their sides and bake them off. I always enjoyed the crunchy caramel-ly bits on the pinwheels.

[Smithy]

On 11/11/2019 at 12:17 PM, Toliver said:

My mom would take the pie crust trimmings and form a ball. Then she would roll it out flat, spread it with butter then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll into a log, then slice just under 1-inch log pieces. Lay them on their sides and bake them off. I always enjoyed the crunchy caramel-ly bits on the pinwheels.

 

That's exactly what my mother used to do!

[AlaMoi]

I used frozen puff pastry for individual chicken pot pies and the scraps become cin-sugar "cookies"

 

[Soupcon]

You could probably make a version of kouign amann with the scraps or at least a half arsed version.

 

[jedovaty]

On 11/10/2019 at 5:07 PM, kayb said:

How about if you laid them all out flat, brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, and baked? Sort of like have-it-with-coffee snacks?

 

Butter on top of inverse puff pastry?  😲  Fantastic idea!

 

Thank you all for the ideas!  I am going to try rolling up into a log next time.

 

Meantime, I wanted to see what would happen if they were deep fried.  There was some deliberation into pan frying kind of like an english muffin, but, I was worried the insides might not cook.  My goodness, these things are ridiculous.  So light and tender, delicate crisp.  Cutting one open proved more challenging than expected, they just disintegrate.

 

Here's an idea: cut into small 1/4" pieces, then fried, they could be little poofs used as a topping on smooth desserts for a textural contrast.  Flavor is quite mild, which should be taken into consideration.

Edited November 16, 2019 by jedovaty (log)

[retired baker]

On ‎11‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 3:37 PM, jedovaty said:

(Note: This topic was split from the Monkey Bread topic, to keep both discussions focused and relevant to the question at hand.)

I made inverse puff pastry last week for "chasson aux pommes" (apple turnovers).  Never made puff pastry before.  Beginner's luck, turned out beyond expectations, super layers, butter, crisp exterior, tender honeycomb inerior (even without yeast!!), lightly sweet, slightly tart, it took every bit of will power not to eat them before taking them to work. 

Based on all the suggestions, I saved the scraps, and additionally separated them by size and shape.  Seems like I can make something called "monkey bread", but I have no clue what that actually is.  I've researched it, and it seems I should just bunch it up with sugar and bake... but these aren't yeasted, sooooo wouldn't bunching these up screw up the layers and make more of a pie dough squishy thing?

Reading the forums, with puff pastry I can make little cookies or crackers or other things.  But I'm not quite sure how to do this?  They are kind of small to twist into sticks or roll into arlettes?  Help please and thank you??? 🤝

For now, I've put scraps in the freezer.

 

That's why I always make square, tri or oblong turnovers, never round.

The dough, especially reverse puff , is way too valuable to squander on impractical shapes that generate unacceptable scrap like that.

If I absolutely had to have rounds I would cut squares of dough and roll each into a round. Minimal scrap either way.

[jedovaty]

On 1/9/2020 at 7:54 AM, retired baker said:

That's why I always make square, tri or oblong turnovers, never round.

The dough, especially reverse puff , is way too valuable to squander on impractical shapes that generate unacceptable scrap like that.

If I absolutely had to have rounds I would cut squares of dough and roll each into a round. Minimal scrap either way.

They were awesome deep fried!