Pestopastrystars Recipes

PARMESAN PUFF PASTRY STARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Dust a flat work surface lightly with flour. Unroll both puff pastry sheets and roll each one out to a rectangle of the same size. Brush one puff pastry sheet with a little water and sprinkle with 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese. Lay the second puff pastry sheet on top, brush with water, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Using a large star cutter cut out about twelve 2 1/2 to 3 1/2-inch stars.
• Place stars on prepared baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes (or 5 minutes in the freezer).
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed up and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

PISTACHIO STARS

Steps:

• In a food processor, grind together the pistachios with the confectioner's sugar and zest until the pistachios are very finely ground. Set aside.
• Combine the egg whites and salt in the bowl of a very clean and dry mixing bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer until the egg whites become foamy. Slowly add the superfine granulated sugar and beat on high until you get stiff, white peaks (this can take a few minutes). Set aside about one-quarter of the meringue mixture (just eyeball it). Fold the remaining meringue into the ground nut mixture until you've created a thick paste.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Sift a generous layer of confectioners' sugar onto a piece of parchment. Flatten the paste onto the parchment with your hands (spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray to keep the paste from sticking to your hands). Sift a generous layer of confectioners' sugar on top of the paste and top with another piece of parchment. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick.
• Using a 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter (dipped in confectioners' sugar to keep the cutter from sticking), stamp out the stars and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet an inch or so apart (the cookies don't spread, so there's not much worry). Using a small offset spatula, smear the tops of each star with a light layer of the reserved meringue. Continue with the rest of the cookies and a second parchment-lined cookie sheet.
• Bake until the meringue just begins to brown, about 15 minutes. The cookies should be light and chewy, not hard and crunchy.

PESTO PASTRY STARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to moderately hot (400°F - 205°C - Gas Mark 6).
• Combine butter and pesto in small bowl. Spread pesto mixture over pastry sheets, sprinkle with cheese.
• Using a 5.5 cm cutter, cut stars from pastry sheets, place onto lightly oiled oven trays.
• Bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until puffed and browned, cool.

APRICOT STARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Halve dough and reserve one half, covered and chilled. Roll out remaining dough between sheets of wax paper into an approximately 10-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick, and freeze or chill on a baking sheet until firm about 15 minutes.
• With a 1 1/2- to 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter cut out stars, arranging them about 1 inch apart on baking sheets and gathering scraps to reroll and cut for a total of 60 stars. If dough becomes too soft to work with, refreeze or chill uncut dough until firm.
• Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, about 8 minutes, and transfer carefully to racks to cool.
• Roll out, chill or freeze if necessary, and cut out reserved dough in same manner into about 60 more stars. With a smaller star or round cutter cut and lift out centers of second batch of stars. Bake second batch of cookies in middle of oven until pale golden, about 8 minutes, and transfer carefully to racks and cool.
• In a small saucepan simmer jam, stirring, 2 minutes, and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids.
• On a tray or work surface, arrange whole stars, bottom sides up. Drop 1/4 teaspoon jam on each cookie, spreading almost to edges, and top with a cut-out star. Any remaining jam can be spooned into centers. Let cookies stand until set. Cookies may be stored between layers of wax paper in airtight containers up to 6 weeks frozen.

CAVIAR PUFF-PASTRY STARS

Steps:

• On a floured surface roll out the puff pastry 1/8 inch thick and with a 3-inch star-shaped cutter cut out 8 pastry stars. Transfer the stars to a lightly greased baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash, being careful not to let the wash drip down the sides, and bake the stars in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden. Transfer the stars to a rack and let them cool completely. With a sharp small knife carefully split the stars in half horizontally to form a total of 16 stars, leaving the bottoms cut sides up and the tops cut sides down. Just before serving, spoon about 1 teaspoon of the sour cream onto each star, divide the caviar among the stars, and sprinkle the hors d'oeuvres with the chives.

CAVIAR PUFF PASTRY STARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a floured surface, roll out puff pastry 1/8 inch thick and with a 3 inch star-shaped cutter, cut out 16 pastry stars.
• Transfer to lightly greased baking sheets, brush tops with egg wash, being careful not to let it drip down sides.
• Bake in middle of oven for 12-15 minutes, or until puffed and golden.
• Let cool and split, leaving the bottoms cut-side-up and tops cut-side-down.
• Just before serving, spoon about 1 tsp sour cream onto each star, divide caviar among stars and sprinkle with chives.