Puff Paste Cheese Cakes
These elegant open-faced pastries feature a classic puff paste foundation that bakes up into light, buttery, and incredibly flaky layers. Unlike enclosed patties, these tartlets are left uncovered, allowing the savory cheese or sweet custard filling to brown beautifully while the crust rises around it. The recipe strictly advises using cold butter instead of ghee to achieve the distinct lamination and crisp texture essential for a perfect puff pastry.
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour (Quantity estimated for a standard batch of puff paste.)
- 1 teaspoon Salt (Originally '1 flat spoonful'. Use a level teaspoon.)
- 1 cup Cold butter (Quantity estimated. Recipe explicitly states 'do not use ghee' for this crust.)
- 1/2 cup Ice water (Quantity estimated. Use as needed to bind the dough.)
- 1 1/2 cups Filling of choice (Cheese or Custard) (Recipe specifies to use 'whatever filling is intended'.)
Instructions
- 1In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the flat teaspoon of salt. Mix well.
- 2Prepare the puff paste by incorporating the cold butter into the flour mixture and adding ice water gradually. Use a folding and turning technique to create layers. Do not use ghee for this crust, as butter is required for the correct texture.
- 3Roll out the dough to a uniform thickness. Place the dough into tart molds or 'kedia', pressing it gently against the bottom and sides.
- 4Trim the excess dough from the edges of the molds to make them even and neat. Fill the shells with your desired filling (such as a cheese mixture). Do not cover with a top crust; these are baked open-faced.
- 5Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the tarts for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden brown and the filling is set.