Week 5: Puff Pastry

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Note: One quarter of the way and I think Savory is more fun!

No, I said Quick Puff Pastry (Yes, it does exist...you mix the butter (beurrage) with the flour  (detrempe -it actually calls for Crisco -the classic version) directly...)
Not Stay Puft.



For you math geeks, apparently:
The number of layers in puff pastry is calculated with the equation:
l = (f + 1)^n
where l is the number of finished layers, f the number of folds, and n the number of times the dough has been folded.
For classic puff, we do 6 Turns and for Quick Puff, we do 4 Turns! Yes, the equation is like the time value of money.   Hey, the QuinJa's gotta be savvy to get paid my assassination money!   Oh yeah, a Double Turn is folding a dough in 1/4 then overlapping them; a Single Turn is folding in thirds like an snail mail letter (remember them?).  Everytime you do a turn you mark it with your fingers to remember (kinda like a Dim Mak)! Oh, you roll out when you turn the dough. Much easier to buy Pepperidge Farm!

Anyways, in addition to Classic Puff, I made...

 Chocolate Tart: Patee Sucree with Chocolate Filling... chef made a ring of confectioner sugar).  The chocolate is bittersweet at 58%.

Pear Tart: Patee Sucree with Poached Pear, Frangipane and Glazed with Apricot Jam)
The apricots, or apple jam is a technique used to seal the flavor - it has little flavor.  You can use canned Pear Halves but don't poach as it will degrade and fall apart!