Pasteten

Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........

That was me being relaxed.  This time last week I was studying, studying, studying... and now?  I'm enjoying the time where I don't have anything to do until it starts all over again.

Here is my "relaxed" baking...

These are called Pasteten.  This kind of pastry is incredibly delicious and really flexible.  The hole in the middle provides for endless possibilities!... and I'm not just talking about sweet fillings.  Need a fancy appetizer?  Whip up a savory filling with mushrooms, onions and a nice cream sauce and you're good to go!

The filling I used was a lemon cream.  That may or may have to do with the fact that I had leftover lemon flavoring already made...

This type of pastry is made with what is called Blätterteig.  Blätterteig is the equivalence of puff pastry.  It does not have a physical leavening agent, ie. yeast.  The rise in the dough comes from the release of the water in the dough when it is baked.  You know what makes this kind of dough really, really great??? It doesn't need to rise because of the lack of yeast.

Now I'm not telling you to run to the store and buy the frozen dough... But really... that's what I did.  It would absolutely fantastic if you made the dough yourself... I know, though, that it can be time consuming.  But, if you're up for the challenge, I would really love to hear about it!

Cut out equal sized circles.  I didn't have a large enough cookie cutter to do so, so I used the lid to a jar.  Then, take half of the circles and cut out the center.

Brush the rim of the full circles with a little bit of water, and place the ring on top.

DO NOT forget to brush with an egg wash!  This will give the pastry that beautiful golden brown look.

Then stick those babies in the oven at 210 C, or 410 F.

Whatever filling you decide to choose, it will be delicious... I'm sure of it!  Get creative!