Ruff Puff Pastry

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Rough Puff Pastry

Yield: 1 sheet

Author: Sarah Truesdell

Includes directions for elephant ears and napoleons

Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 1 ¾ cups (250g) all purpose flour
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 ¼ cups (250g) unsalted butter (high fat)
• 3/4 cup very cold water

For the Pastries

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Pastry cream, 1 recipe
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• Optional: fresh fruit/berries

Instructions

Make the Pastry

1. Grate the butter and freeze.
2. Meanwhile, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Toss in the grated butter, incorporating fully into the flour.
3. Make a well in the bowl and pour in about two-thirds of the cold water, mixing until you have a firm rough dough adding extra water if needed. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 20 mins in the fridge.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently and form into a smooth rectangle. Roll the dough in one direction only, until 3 times the width, about 8 x 20 inches. Keep edges straight and even. Don’t overwork the butter streaks; you should have a marbled effect.
5. Fold the top third down to the center, then the bottom third up and over that, like a letter. Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length. Fold as before, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 mins before rolling to use.

For Elephant Ears

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cut pastry in half. Keep unused half in refrigerator.
3. Dust work surface with sugar. Roll out pastry into rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle more sugar on top. Use hands to fold the long right side to center. Fold the long left side to center. Adjust so there is a small gap between the edges in the center. Fold in half like a book. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes.
4. Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Place on lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of room between cookies. Bake for 10-15 minutes until sugar caramelizes (melts and browns somewhat). Remove tray and flip cookies over. Return to oven and bake for another 5 minutes, until golden brown.  Let cool before removing from pan or eating.  They will crisp up as they cool.

Make Napoleons

1. Roll out second half of pastry on a lightly flour work surface to 1/4 thickness. Trim edges. Cut into equal rectangles of whatever size you'd like so that you have groups of 3.  So either 3 large rectangles, or six or nine smaller ones.  
2. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  If you have a second baking sheet, place a piece of parchment on top of the pastry and top with a second baking sheet.  If you don't have a second baking sheet to fit on top, just prick the pastries all over with a fork.  
3. Bake for 11 minutes, or until baked through and lightly golden.
4. Cool completely.
5. To assemble, place one rectangle on a plate.  Spread or pipe a layer of pastry cream on top. You have the option of placing some berries into the cream. Top with second layer and repeat with cream. Top with third layer. 
6. Make icing by whisking together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Divide into two, stir cocoa into second bowl until smooth. Icing should be spreadable but not flowing.
7. Pipe or spread alternating stripes of vanilla and chocolate icing on the top layer of pastry.  Use a tooth pick to draw a chevron pattern. (It might be easier to ice the top layer before it is placed on the pastry).

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