End of the Year Entertaining

Closer to the holiday the crazier. December brings the excesses and the worst, depending on how you perceive it all.

The money grubbing sales with stores now ready for every shoppers dime, the reaching out to homeless and those in need of help. Oh yeah, and agendas add stress to crazy schedules. Entertaining brings the flurry home and hopefully there is a moment we breath, relax and enjoy.

So key to our mental survival, our entertaining should be stress free and joyful - like the season. Holiday cookies (a tradition in almost every country and culture). One in particular..... easy and quick.

Grab a friend, family member, even the little ones and roll!

Dave Mansur, Executive Pastry Chef at
First and Last Bakery
920 Maple Avenue Hartford CT

1 Shot of Vanilla
1 cup of butter
1/2 cup confectionary sugar
2 1/4 cup of Flour
3/4 cup of Nuts

Combine Ingredients
Roll in your palms the size of a walnut

Bake at 350 degrees
Bake til it starts to color

Immediately roll in confectionary sugar
When cool
roll again in confectionary sugar

Chef Dave,
When making puff pastry how cold should butter be, out of the fridge or room temperature?
...........................................................Susan from Aetna
You want your butter to be colder the better. Because when you start to roll it, if it's not, it will leak out the sides of the dough.

Chef Dave,
Can you use puff pastry in a waffle maker?
.............................................Joanne from The Marriott
Absolutely, Caramelize some apples in a frying pan, with some sugar & cinnamon til the apples are tender. Then set aside. Heat iron and spray with non-stick spray. Rest the puff pastry on the waffle iron til they are golden. Layer the puff pastry from the bottom, then apples, then pastry on top of the caramelize apples, add whipped cream on top and you have a delicious dessert.

Chef Dave,
How do you stop the fruit from leaking out of your tarts?
..............................................................Dianne from ING
Add just a touch of flour to your fruit and it will absorb some of the liquid, it will also make your filling thicker.