My family loves pumpkin pie, so blending it with puff pastry is a perfect combination and dessert. The richness of the pumpkin with the flakey pastry is a tasty fall holiday recipe that’s simple to make.
Yes, I’m a bit obsessed with everything, pumpkin, and here is another recipe for you. If you need more, I have quite a few over here.
- Pumpkin Brioche French Toast
- Mini-Pumpkin Bundt Cakes
- Pumpkin Muffins with My Secret Crumb Topping
- Pumpkin Hand Pies Recipe
Today’s blog post is part of a fall dessert blog hop. Here are my friend’s delicious recipes. Make sure to take a look!
I always love to play around with puff pastry.
If you haven’t noticed, I’m on a pumpkin kick. Yes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin French toast, and pumpkin fairy houses. So, with my pumpkin puree in my fridge, I thought of putting a pumpkin filling inside some puff pastry dough.
My first attempt was with pumpkin butter since it’s so simple, and Trader Joe’s sells it in a jar. Well, since it’s not available until the end of the month, I made some homemade pumpkin butter. But I found it wasn’t the exact taste I had in mind.
I realized that I wanted a rich and luscious pumpkin pie filling. So, I had to cook it since the raw pie filling was too runny, and I couldn’t place it in the uncooked dough. Then the light bulb went off in my head, I will make a stovetop pumpkin pie.
Well, I came up with a pie filling that is super easy to make. Then I topped the puff pastry dough with a layer and baked it; the results were incredible.
Whew, that was a long journey!
You’re in for a yummy treat if you like pumpkin pie!
Pumpkin Puff Pastry
This puff pastry goes flawlessly with my delicious pumpkin pie filling. The filling is super easy to make and only requires a few minutes of cooking on the stovetop.
You can make the filling ahead of time, and then, right before serving, pop it and the pastry dough in the oven, and in 15 minutes, you have an incredible dessert.
How to Thaw Puff Pastry
So puff pastry is located in the freezer section of your grocery store. It comes in a long cardboard box and two in a package. You’ll want to take it out of the paper package and set it on a baking tray on your kitchen countertop. It takes about 30-40 minutes to thaw. If you plan to use it a couple of hours later, thaw it in the refrigerator.
Unfortunately, the thawing process can’t be shortened. And if you try and open the dough while it’s frozen,, it will crack. Yeah, I know, since I’ve been impatient on one occasion.
So, plan your dessert baking with plenty of time to thaw.
What’s the Difference Between Puff Pastry and Filo Dough
Puff pastry is delicate layers of dough that also have layers of butter. It usually comes frozen in sheets that are the thickness of pie dough. The butter and dough, when baked, puff up to a light flakey crust.
Phyllo dough of filo is a Greek term for leaf. It has superfine thin layers with almost no fat. Usually, bakers brush melted butter in between phyllo dough sheets. Thus, unlike puff pastry, it doesn’t have the rich light buttery taste of puff pastry.
What’s the Difference Between Pumpkin Puree and Pumpkin Pie Filling?
Pumpkin Puree is 100% pumpkin, and Pumpkin Pie filling is a puree with all the spices and sugar added for a pie filling. For this recipe, I prefer pure puree. I like to add my ingredients to the recipe.
Can I Store The Baked Pastry on My Counter Top?
Since the filling has milk and eggs, I store it in the refrigerator.
Can I Make This Dessert Ahead of Time?
Yes, but if you want it at its best, you’ll want to serve it a couple of minutes after it’s baked. You can, however, make the pie filling ahead of time. Right before you need it, make the braided pastry and bake.
How to Braid Puff Pastry
Think of your dough as a rectangle divided into three vertical panels. The middle panel will hold the pumpkin pie filling, and the other two side panels are the braids that will cover the filling.
Ok, this can be a bit tricky, so I decided to break the process down with a couple of photos.
Step 1 – Unwrap The Dough
Unwrap the frozen dough on a piece of parchment paper. Allow the dough to thaw for 30-40 minutes. Once it’s melted,, place the pumpkin pie filling in the center section,, leaving uncovered dough at the top and bottom.
Step 2 – Cut the Top and Bottom
Trim off a triangle shape on both the top and bottom corners, leaving a tab in the middle. You’ll have tabs on the top and bottom of the pastry dough.
Step 3 – Make the Side Braids
Cut the sides with about one-inch wide strips. The angled cuts should start from the middle panel and go to the outside edge. Make sure they are all going in the same direction.
Step 4 – Fold Over Tabs
Fold over the bottom and top dough tabs of your pastry.
Step 4 – Braid the Dough
Beginning at the bottom, start braiding by crossing a dough strip over the middle. Then cross the other side strip so that it overlaps the first one. Next, alternate with the other side’s strip and cross it over the middle. Continue up the pastry until you reach the top.
I had too many braids at the top, so I just cut off the last one. Pinch together the last one with the dough to seal the dessert. You can also place a dab of milk on the bottom end of the braid and pinch it with the rest of the pastry braids.
After baking, the last braid always lifts. So once it’s out of the oven, I weave it back in with the others, so it lays flat.
Here Are the Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pumpkin Puree
- Frozen Puff Pastry Sheet
- Granulated Sugar
- Salt
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Ginger
- Ground Cloves (optional)
- Egg
- Flour
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make this Pumpkin Dessert
Step 1 – Thaw Puff Pastry
Step 2 – Make the Pumpkin Pie Filling
Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, egg, and flour in a small to a medium saucepan. Stir and cook for 5 minutes over low to medium heat, Until blended and cooked.
Step 3 – Build the Pastry
Place cooked pie filling in the middle of the pastry dough and braid. Brush the top with a bit of milk and sugar, and bake in the oven.
Step 4 – Bake at 400
Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 5 – Cool on Rack
Cool on rack. In the meantime, make icing and drizzle on top of the puff pastry.
Pumpkin Pie Puff Pastry
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- 1 pinch ground cloves optional
- 1 egg large
- 1 tbsp flour
Pastry Dough
- 1 roll puff pastry
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp sugar
Icing
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1½ tsp milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Puff Pastry
- Take the frozen puff pastry out of the freezer and thaw one roll.
- Thaw puff pastry dough on the countertop for 30-40 minutes.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Beat egg in a medium size sauce pot. Add sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and flour.
- Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Take off the stovetop and set it aside.
Braiding Pastry Dough
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Take thawed puff pastry dough and trim off a triangle shape on both the top and bottom corners, leaving a tab in the middle. You'll have a tab on the top and bottom of the pastry dough.
- Next alternate with the other side's strip and cross it over the middle. Continue up the pastry until you reach the top. Pinch together the last one with the dough to seal the dessert.
- Brush the top of the puff pastry with a small amount of milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake in an oven for 15 – 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven when done and let cool on baking rack.
Icing
- Combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Drizzle the icing on top of the puff pastry.
Nutrition
How Long Do They Last?
These yummy pumpkin puff pastry desserts last for a couple of days.
How to Store Them
I store mine in the refrigerator after the first day. To keep them, I wrap them in plastic or a Ziploc bag. When it’s time to serve, reheat them in an oven or toaster oven. Bake at about 350 degrees until warm. Reheating this dessert brings back the fluffy pastry dough.
Now that we are all heading in for the fall and winter weather, I hope you have a chance to fill your home with this delicious cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pastry!
Happy Fall, Friends, and Happy Baking!
Cheers,
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