Pantry Staple: Trader Joe’s Frozen Puff Pastry
We love this stuff. So handy for quick appetizer bites or a tray of fresh breakfast pastries for a special brunch. We’ve tried several brands over the years and keep coming back to good ol’ Trader Joe’s. It’s just so good!
Trader Joe’s puff pastry is made with just five ingredients: flour, butter, salt, sugar, and water. The flavor is so rich and buttery, you almost don’t need a filling. Fresh-baked pastries crackle in your mouth and leave crispy shards on your fingers, as a good pastry should.
Even more impressive, it really puffs. There’s no leavening in puff pastry, so a truly puffy pastry relies on hundreds of super-thin layers of butter and dough. While we’re skeptical that Trader Joe’s is truly “handcrafting” their puff pastry in the traditional sense, it’s clear that attention has been given to quality.
It’s a small thing, but we also appreciate that these sheets come as whole, un-folded sheets. Most other brands of puff pastry are folded in thirds in the package, and they sometimes crack or leave seams once thawed and unfolded. Trader Joe’s sheets are just that much more fool-proof and easy to work with.
As we enter into the fall and winter entertaining season, a box or two of this puff pastry will have permanent residence in our freezer. For easy but show-stopping treats, there’s nothing better.
Keep these puff pastry recipes handy!
Caramelized Pear Tart
Are you a fan of puff pastry, too? What do you like to make?
(Image: Emma Christensen)