This puff pastry star (or snowflake) with passion fruit curd is a very easy and quick dessert, great for when you need an impressive showstopper. You can swap passion fruit curd for lemon curd or even mandarin to make it more wintery.
Ok, this recipe is so not me. I’m that person who likes to make everything from scratch – jams, sauces, pastries – you name it. If it’s possible to make it – I’ll make it. It’s just who I am and what I like. This predisposition came from my family, where my mum and grandma made everything themselves.
However, this time, I went down a strange route. Two out of three elements of this recipe are shoppable products. Why!? I hear you cry!? Well, the reason is that I was on the Ocado website, creating my usual weekly shopping cart, when I saw a new product – Cherry Tree Passion Fruit Curd. It had won the ‘Great Taste’ award…
Now, I must admit, I’m a sucker for ‘Great Taste’ awards. If I see the label on food packaging (doesn’t matter if I need it or not) I’m going to buy it. This one black circle with golden lines has so much power! It’s like a Michelin guide for packaged food and drinks.
Great Taste awards
For those unfamiliar with the ‘Great Taste’ awards, this system operates with a three star score. One star means the product is simply delicious. Two stars – outstanding (less than 10% of entries achieve this rating) and three stars means – exquisite or shut up and take my money now (ok ok, that’s a joke, but you get the gist!).
The awards started in 1994 and remain one of the largest and most trusted accreditation schemes. The judging process is quite intense, with products blind tasted by chefs, buyers, fine food retailers, restaurateurs, food critics and writers over 70 judging days.
Judges look for great taste without being distracted by the packaging, design or any other details unrelated to the flavour. They also care about the quality of ingredients. So, if the product tastes good but the ingredients are questionable, you won’t get a star.
Simply the best of the best gets a star (or three). Therefore, when I see a product with this sign – I’m buying it.
Puff Pastry Star Recipe Swaps
Today, it’s less about recipe swaps, but rather new recipe ideas using the same method. This star/wreath/snowflake (pick your festive shape of choice!), could also be an amazing centrepiece for your New Years Eve dinner.
- You can swap passion fruit curd for something more familiar like orange curd (a recipe is here) or lemon curd (just swap the oranges to lemons in your orange curd recipe).
- This can also be a savoury dish – you can use pesto, garlic butter, cheese, harissa – anything you like.
- Puff pastry is a hero in this recipe, but you can improvise and even make it with crepes if you’re feeling adventurous.
Happy countdown ‘till New Years my loves!
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 roll of puff pastry
1 jar of passion fruit curd (shopping link)
1 egg
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cut the puff pastry into four equal size pieces.
- Roll out the first piece into a disc.
- Place the rolled out disc onto a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the passion fruit curd over the top, leaving a 1 cm rim around the edges.
- Roll out the second piece and place it on top. Press gently. Spread the passion fruit curd. Keep doing this for the next two pieces.
- Mark the centre (you can place the glass on top of the pastry in the centre to help you navigate). Cut the pastry into fourths (leaving the inner circle uncut). Continue by cutting the fourths into eighths, then the eighths into sixteenths.
- Grab two sections and twist them away from each other. Press the ends together to seal. Repeat until you seal all of the pieces (a video on how to do it)
- Brush the star with the lightly beaten egg.
- Bake it in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until it’s golden.
