Buttery Palmiers with Cinnamon Sugar

I had a batch of puff pastry I made a while back, and it was time I needed to use it up. I decided to make delicious buttery palmiers with cinnamon sugar. They are quick and easy to make and everyone will love them.

Use store-bought, ready-rolled, butter puff pastry for a quick cheat. They are perfect for general snacking or afternoon tea.

"Cornish" Pasties

I’ve tried the traditional Cornish pasties in Cornwall, with the chunks of steak, swede (rutabaga) and potato in a delicious pastry. I’m also guilty of grabbing a factory “Cornish” pasty, whilst rushing through a train station on my way to work/home. It’s unfortunate that most people have never tried a real Cornish pasty, but is accustomed to the minced (ground) meat in gravy variety with a puff pastry exterior.

I apologize in advance to any Cornish readers. These pasties have nothing in common with the traditional, delicious pasties that originate from Cornwall. They aren’t made with beef, but with chicken; they don’t have swede (rutabaga), but carrots; the vegetables are cubed, not sliced; the filling is cooked before stuffing and they don’t have the typical short crust pastry (half fat to flour ratio). In a sense, to call these “Cornish” is probably an abomination, but I’ll live with that.

All-Butter Croissants

I’ve been spoilt, so spoilt that I’ve tasted fresh croissants in France. And once you’ve tasted the real deal in France, nothing will ever come close in comparison. So, if you ever happen to be visiting France, do NOT, I repeat do NOT try their fresh croissants. Otherwise, you’ll suffer a life-long torment in searching for the perfect croissant again.

All-Butter Puff Pastry

Yes, I know that this picture is pretty pathetic, but read on…

Puff pastry has been on my to-do list for so long. I’ve just not found the excuse to make it because I wouldn’t use it in everyday cooking. I rarely cook with puff-pastry, in fact the last time I did cook with it was probably around 2000. That was when I was a lot unhealthier. I’d buy Asda’s frozen puff pastry, roll it out, cut the pastry into squares, place a slice of mature (sharp) cheese diagonally, top it with a rasher of bacon, then folded the two corners of the square over the cheese/bacon filling and baked them. Now, I’d hate to think how much fat and calories was in each one of those pastries!