Puff Pastry

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One of the great allies lurking in my freezer and ready to come to my aid at a moment's notice is a pack of rolled out puff pastry sheets. They are just so versatile.

For example, just one sheet thawed out and cut into quarters gives me the base for an almost instant dessert. A spoonful of stewed fruit in the center, fold two opposite corners together, egg wash the pastry, sprinkle with sugar and top the pastry join with half an apricot. Into the oven at 220°C for around 20 minutes and there you have it.

Or use a cookie cutter to cut rounds of thawed pastry, top with tomato paste and grated cheese and cook on baking trays as above. Instant nibbles. Well, almost.

You can even make a terrific farmhouse-style pie out of just one sheet: put any filling you like in the center of the pastry, then bring up the corners and sides and pinch them together. Lightly egg wash (beaten egg with milk or cream) the whole thing and sprinkle with pepper and herbs (savory) or granulated sugar for a golden-crusted finish.