Learn what makes a recipe tick, says How to Cook Without a Book author Pam Anderson, and you'll serve great food fast. Recognizing that most cooks feel challenged in the face of daily meal making, Anderson provides a game plan: prepare dishes based on available ingredients and simple cooking techniques you've mastered--not on recipes you've got to look up and ingredients you'll need to shop for--and you maximize the potential of kitchen ease.
PUFF PASTRY: YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND
Commercial frozen puff pastry is decent-quality, ready-to-bake dough. With a sheet of puff pastry I can make hassle-free tarts, turnovers, cookies, and pastry cups in minutes.
Since it's the only brand available at my grocery store, I use Pepperidge Farm. It comes two sheets of pastry to a box. If using the entire box, thaw both sheets. If using only one sheet, retape the package, close the box, and return it to the freezer. Let the frozen pastry sit for a few minutes to soften, but the dough doesn't have to thaw completely before you begin working with it.
If necessary, the dough can be rolled out before cutting it into various shapes. When making turnovers, for example, simply trim the dough and cut it into squares. For desserts where thinner pastry is preferred--tarts, for example--roll out the dough before cutting it.
Working with puff pastry over the years, I've learned a few tips. First, don't try to make one big fruit tart out of an entire sheet--the tart does not cook through. It may taste good, but the center will be gummy and limp. Instead, make either individual tarts or a long, thin rectangular one. Also, when making cookies or rounds do not twist the cutter once you've made the cut. Make clean cuts--press down and lift up. The twisting action may compress layers, causing them to rise unevenly. The same goes for cutting puff pastry. Make clean cuts with a long, sharp knife. And finally, make sure the dough stays cold.
Even with commercial puff pastry, tarts and turnovers may still take more time than you've got. If so, make cookies. They can be cut out in five minutes and they bake in ten minutes. Start by heating the oven to 425 degrees. While the oven preheats, lay a sheet of thawed but cold puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle dough sheet generously with sugar. Depending on the occasion, use cookie cutters to stamp out dough shapes. Arrange them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake until they are a glossy golden brown, about ten minutes. Serve these cookies with fresh or poached fruit.
I often make a half batch of these and half batch of the jam variation (see recipe below), serving guests one of each. You need nothing more than a handful of fresh raspberries to complete this dessert. These turnovers can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Simply pop them in the oven close to dessert time.
4 1/2 ounces semi- or bittersweet eatng chocotate, such as Ghirardetti, broken into 1/4-ounce pieces
1 egg, beaten
confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)
Adjust oven racks to the upper and tower middle positions and heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Working with one sheet at a time on a lightly floured work surface, trim the puff pastry sheets to 9- by 9-inch squares, then cut each sheet into nine 3-inch squares.
Working with one square of dough at a time, place a portion of chocolate onto the tower corner, brush two edges of the dough with beaten egg, and ford the dough in half diagonally to form a turnover. Place each turnover on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart (about 9 per sheet). Brush the dough tops with egg wash.
Bake until golden brown, switching and rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking to ensure even browning, about 15 minutes. Cool the turnovers briefly. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.
