Making puff pastry can take a lot of time and there’s no guarantee it will come out perfectly flaky and delicate. Good thing frozen puff pastry is widely available these days sold in supermarkets. In this recipe, readymade puff pastry is topped with delicious fresh strawberries, almonds and powdered sugar to make an elegant and impressive dessert.

Puff pastry can be stored up to a month in the freezer as long as it is sealed in a plastic wrap so it’s a good idea to always have some in reserve so you can whip up a sophisticated dessert anytime and in no time to pair up with your home cooking recipes.

Frozen puff pastry is typically packaged in a box and comes in sheets. It needs to be thawed at room temperature for 30 minutes before it can be used. If the temperature in your kitchen is too warm or humid, you can also thaw the pastry sheets inside the refrigerator for 4 hours. Once it thaws, the puff pastry will become soft and sticky so work on it quickly on a floured and cool surface. Roll out the dough and cut it into discs to make the bottom part of the pie. It should fit your pie mold or pie pan so cut it accordingly.

Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough into the size of your baking pan. After topping the pie with strawberries, almonds, and sugar, you can pinch the edges with your thumb or use a fork to adhere to the pan. Trim off any excess dough at the sides. Since this is an open tart, you don’t need to cover the top of the pastry. You only need a bottom crust for this recipe. The dough cooks quickly and will take about 10 to 15 minutes to bake in a 400 degrees F oven.

Ingredients

2/3 lb. puff pastry with butter
48 strawberries
1.8 oz. minced almonds
powdered sugar

Spread the dough to about 1/5 inch thickness. Cut into round discs.

Brush the pan with butter and place the cut dough on the round baking pan or pie pan and press gently but firmly for the dough to adhere to the bottom.

Fill the pastry with fresh strawberries cut into quarters. Sprinkle minced almonds over the top and cover with powdered sugar with the help of a sieve.

Place the pastries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in 400 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pastry is browned and the sugar has crystallized.