Do you remember a while back when I made puff pastry for a Daring Bakers' challenge? I mentioned in that post that I had a great idea for what to do with any puff pastry scraps, but it's taken me until now to share that idea! I'm so sorry. I've just been busier and busier lately. I'm still been cooking and baking just as much as before, but I feel like I'm only getting half of what I make onto my blog these days. Does that ever happen to you?
I wanted to get caught up, so the other day I sat down and organized some pictures and did a little "housekeeping," so to speak. I'm going to work on catching you up on some amazing things I've made but have yet to share... starting with this apple tart.
Puff pastry is a lot of work, so if you make it from scratch and you have some leftover pieces, it's almost heartbreaking to think about throwing them away. Instead, layer all of your scraps together, roll them out, and reuse them. The dough won't puff as much, but it'll still taste great. (You could also make this with non-scrap homemade or store-bought puff pastry.)
I didn't actually write this recipe down because it was sort of an experiment as I did it, and I think you can alter it for the amount of scrap you have. You can also use different fruits and flavorings. This will just give you an idea for one use for scraps of puff pastry.
You'll need puff pastry scrap, an egg yolk, a couple of apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the puff pastry scrap on a lightly floured counter top into a rectangle or other shape of your choice.
Place the rectangle on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Lightly beat the egg yolk with a little bit of water and sparingly brush the puff pastry with the egg wash.
Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
Then layer the apple slices on the puff pastry so they're overlapping and cover the whole surface area of the dough.
Mix about 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon (or whatever amount/ratio you prefer).
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, and generously brush the apples with it. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the apples (you may not end up using all of it, or you may need to make more). This works best using a sifter or metal strainer.
Bake the tart in preheated oven until apples are tender. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
This was incredibly easy to make and even easier to enjoy! Each mouthful contained soft, buttery puff pastry combined with sugary apples. A dollop of simple homemade whipped cream was all it took to complete this delightful dessert.
