Take your brunch to the next level with these gourmet croissants!
Use product immediately upon removal from refrigerator as there is no need to thaw! No need to use flour and a rolling pin to stretch the dough.
Dough will roll out and cut easier if it is chilled. If you're trying to create a specific shape, keep the pastry as cold as possible (but not frozen) and it will be easier to make precise cuts.
If you want to keep the inside from rising as much as the edges, just use a paring knife to score a border. Don’t cut the dough all the way though! Use a fork to prick the dough. The pastry will still be light and flaky with the edges puffed up and the center will stay down.
Pop the dough in the fridge after working with it, while the oven preheats. This step gives the fat in the dough a chance to re-solidify, to get an even better baking result.
Egg-wash: Just before baking, brush your puff pastry with egg wash (1 large egg with about 2 tablespoons water, beaten) to give it an attractive shine and color.
To seal the pastry edges for any stuffed pocket-style pastry, just brush a thin layer of water or egg whites along the edges and press them together to make them stick.
Crimp edges of smaller pastries like hand pies with a fork. Larger pastries can be crimped with your fingertips.
Serve soon after baking! Puff Pastry is best when fresh, so ideally bake close to serving. Only few recipes are great to make ahead. Puff Pastry is best when baked and served the same day.
To unroll the dough, remove dough from package and gently separate the dough and parchment paper from the roll, so that the dough on paper begins to lay flat. Be careful not to separate the dough from the parchment paper. There may be some sticking, but the dough and paper should easily pull away from the roll.
Once the dough is lying flat on the baking tray, cut off or tuck any excess paper under, so it does not hang over the edge.
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallots and cook until softened. Add crab and tomato paste and stir, incorporating the paste into the crab. Add Madeira wine and cook until dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove to a separate bowl and allow to slightly cool.
3. Meanwhile, prepare egg wash. Separately, beat one egg in a small bowl. Once the crab mix has cooled significantly, add beaten egg, lemon juice and Old Bay to mix, and stir to combine.
4. Unroll refrigerated Puff Pastry Dough on enclosed parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. Cut the dough sheet in 6 evenly shaped triangles by cutting it in 3 same sized rectangulars (top to bottom) and then 3 times diagonally. Place 2 heaping Tbsp. of crab mix on dough triangles and top with 1 Tbsp. Gruyere cheese. Roll dough in reverse croissant shape by taking the top and bringing it over the dollop of crab mix toward the wide end of the croissant. Then roll dough once toward the wide end.
5. Brush rolled croissants with egg wash and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm.