Parmesan puff pastry twists
Flaky puff pastry twisted with Parmesan and black pepper, golden and crisp, and happy to sit on the table all evening.
- 80 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 12
- About $0.65 a serving
- 210 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. Whatever’s left keeps for tomorrow.
Ingredients
For 12 servings.
- 2 puff pastry sheets, 1 box
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup grated parmesan
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Each serving has about 210 calories, 5 g protein, 17 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $0.65 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Thaw the puff pastry on the counter for about 40 minutes, until it unfolds without cracking.
Timer: 40 min
Dolly’s tip: Still cold but bendy is perfect. Warm, sticky pastry is hard to twist.the oven to 400°F and line two with .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
Beat the egg with the water in a small bowl, and the Parmesan, pepper and garlic powder together in another.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Unfold one sheet on a lightly floured counter, brush it with egg, and scatter a quarter of the cheese over it.
Food safety: Egg wash is safe once the pastry is baked deep golden and dry on top, with no shiny wet spots. Refrigerate any leftover beaten egg and cook it within 2 days, or throw it out.
the sheet in half like a book and press it firmly all over with your palms so the layers stick.
Fold. Folding means mixing gently by scooping from the bottom and turning it over the top, instead of stirring hard. It keeps light mixtures airy and soft things like berries or herbs in one piece.
How you’ll know: You use slow, wide strokes and stop as soon as there are no streaks left.
Cut it into 12 strips, and twist each strip 3 or 4 times as you lay it on a pan.
Lengthwise. Lengthwise means cutting along the long side, from stem to tip, which gives long pieces. Crosswise is the other way, straight across the middle, which gives short, round ones.
How you’ll know: Lengthwise halves of a zucchini look like two little canoes; crosswise pieces look like coins.
Brush the twists with egg, sprinkle with another quarter of the cheese, and repeat with the second sheet.
Dolly’s tip: Twist them up to a day ahead, cover and chill, and bake when you need them.14 to 18 minutes, until puffed and deep .
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 16 min
Dolly’s tip: Pale twists go soft. Bake them a shade darker than you think.Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
Let them cool on the pans, then stand them in a tall glass or lay them on a board.
Dolly’s tip: They can sit out all evening. Keep the rest in a sealed container and crisp them 3 minutes at 350°F.Food safety: Food with mayonnaise, dairy, eggs, cooked meat or cream, like dips, salads and cream desserts, can sit out for 2 hours at most, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep cold food in the fridge or on ice until serving, and hot food at 140°F or hotter.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
When you host a dinner, Dollop builds the menu around your guests’ allergies, works out a cooking timeline back from when everyone sits down, and puts it all on one grocery list.
