Cinnamon Filled Pastry Made Simple

Pastry. It can be a scary word for one with a small and limited kitchen, but it isn't always scary. This recipe is simple and partially store bought (I don't like using store bought things a lot, but this stuff is good). As a side note, you can use these puff pastry sheets for savory dishes as well as deserts.

need: cookie sheet, knife, fork, spoon, flat spatula, whisk, measuring spoon, 2 small bowls

Cinnamon-Sugar Filled Pastry with Glaze

1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 box has 2 sheets)
3 T. cinnamon
6 T. granulated sugar
4 T. and some extra butter

Follow the instructions on the package to let the sheets defrost; either 40 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. In the meantime, make the filling and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter and whisk sugar and cinnamon into a thick coarse mixture. If you don’t have a whisk, use a fork.

Once the sheets are defrosted, completely separate the 3 sections. Since I'm at the dorms and don’t have a clean table, I'm going to use my extra pan. Following the preset lines, cut the square into 9 smaller squares. Do this for the other sheet. Take a small square and lightly use the palm of your hand to flatten it out. Adjust the square so it looks like a diamond (<>) and have the stickier side up.

Then take about a 3/4 teaspoon full of filling and dump it in the middle of the square. Lightly butter the bottom edges and take the top corner and fold it over the filling to place on top of the bottom corner but allow some of the bottom layer to show (basically not a perfect match). Use a fork to crimp the edges, press down hard enough to squish the top layer into the bottom layer but not enough to cut through.

To allow the pastries to come off the pan easier, rub some butter on the cookie sheet or use a nonstick cookie sheet pan. Place the triangles so they aren't touching; I suggest 4 or so triangles. Bake for 15-20 minutes or golden brown. They won't get that much wider but should puff up and the filling seep out of the edge. Watch out for burning or smoke from the filling that has seeped onto the pan. When you take out the pan, quickly take a damp paper towel to the filling by tapping the pastry away and swiping up the mess. Be careful with how you fold the paper towel as the filling is hot; I burned myself on the filling alone (ouch).

Be creative by twisting the corners up. Take the pastries off the pan onto a wire rack or a container for storage. By sliding the triangles flat side to flat side, it is easier to drizzle and not waste icing. The pastries are good as desert or as breakfast as they are similar to the ingredients in cinnamon rolls.

Icing


3/4 powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 T. water


Whisk together all ingredients until thick but thin enough to drizzle. If too thin add more powdered sugar, a little at a time. If too thick to drizzle, add a small amount of water at a time. A little bit of water goes a long way.

Cinnamon-Sugar Filled Pastries