Depending on how you celebrate the holidays, you may have a favourite activity that just says “happy happy” or “merry merry” to you. Maybe it’s wrapping presents or counting down the clock to a new year. And if you’re like me, it’s all of these pursuits, plus one: baking easy, scrumptious treats with store-bought puff pastry, such as sausage rolls in puff pastry (see below).

I’m relatively new to the world of this handy shortcut, as I’ve always eschewed grocery store pie crust and lumped the two together. I could not have been more wrong. While I believe homemade pie crust tastes better and can be done relatively quickly, especially with practice, from-scratch puff pastry (even “rough puff”) can be challenging and time-consuming. Store-bought puff pastry is not only extremely tasty, but also vegan, if you use certain butter-free brands. And, obviously, it’s much easier and faster to work with.

I was introduced to the joy of store-bought puff pastry when writing my most recent “easy peasy” baking cookbook, Salty Cheesy Herby Crispy Snackable Bakes. I discovered that depending on how you cut and assemble the dough, a world of very different and very delicious salty, cheesy treats is available for the taking.

In addition to allowing time for defrosting, keeping the dough cool and using a sharp knife, I would add one note: The dough comes folded up like a letter, and one side of it may already be dusted with flour. I discovered that, if I set it on the counter with the floured side down, I did not need to add more flour to my work surface or to the top of the dough, assuming it and my kitchen were at a cool room temperature. Then all that’s needed is to roll out the sheet just a bit to smooth out its creases.

Below you’ll find a variety of puff-pastry assembly techniques that you can effortlessly and successfully try at home during the holidays – or at any time the craving for impressively flaky, puff-pastry-wrapped goodies hits. Each technique results in a different baked good, and all are baked at 200C. And in addition to the ideas below, you can also use puff pastry to make sausage rolls.

Danishes

Cut two sheets of puff pastry into eight 12cm squares and spread a mix of cream cheese and goat cheese for savoury danishes, or just sweetened cream cheese for sweet, over the bottom, leaving a 1.25cm border around the edges. Dollop about 1 tablespoon of jam on top of the cheese, brush the border with egg wash, sprinkle with herbs, spices or sugar (or don’t), and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges are puffed, brown and crisped.

Individual puff tarts

Cut two sheets of puff pastry into four equal squares, and brush with egg wash all around the edges, as they will get folded into rectangular filled “tarts.” I like to add a zhuzhed-up ricotta and caramelised onions, but you do you. The rule of the filling game is, less is more, so aim for about 3 tablespoons of filling total per tart, and nothing too runny. Place the filling on one half of each square so it is easy to fold the other half over and seal – first with your fingers and then with the tines of a fork. Cut three slits into the top of the tarts, brush with egg wash and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed, browned and crisped.

Large-format “sandwich” tart

When you’re feeling a little extra, try generously “topping” one sheet of the pastry and covering it with another sheet, scoring, baking and then slicing it into squares. I fill mine with American cheese for a fun riff on a grilled cheese sandwich, but any melty cheese and vegies should work (plus ham, if that’s your thing), as long as you don’t go overboard. Leave a border for the egg wash, to help bind the two sheets together, press the border closed with the tines of a fork, brush with egg wash, score into 12 pieces (but don’t actually cut all the way through the bottom sheet of pastry) and bake for about 25 minutes, or until puffed, browned and crisped.

Mini croissants

Using store-bought puff pastry to make miniature croissants is a life hack you did not know you were missing. Assembling them isn’t hard but can be difficult to visualise. Cut a sheet of the pastry in half lengthwise, then cut each half into thirds, also lengthwise, creating six long, skinny rectangles, about 4.5cm wide. Then cut each rectangle in half on the diagonal, creating 12 triangles. Position the triangles so the point is facing away from you. Top with grated cheese and ham, spread with Nutella or your favourite spread, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or leave as is. Starting with the “base” of the triangle, roll the dough toward the point, ending with the tip tucked underneath the croissant. Brush with egg wash and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed, browned and crisped.

Baked brie

Melty cheese plus flaky dough is a match made in heaven, and most of us are familiar with wrapping a wheel of cheese in puff pastry. Roll out the dough until it is about 30mm thick, set the cheese (typically brie) in the centre and cut around the wheel, leaving an 8cm border or just enough that you can comfortably stretch the dough over the cheese to cover. I like to spread jam on the wheel, and then, as I gently pull the pastry over the cheese, I egg-wash each section to help it adhere. Once the cheese is covered, brush the entire thing with more egg wash and chill briefly in the refrigerator or freezer so the pastry is a little cold when it hits the hot oven; this helps the bake hold its shape and puff up better. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is puffed and browned, and let it rest a bit before digging in, with extra jam on the side.

The Washington Post