RECIPES: Wow holiday guests with these pastry treats
When planning for holiday gatherings, it helps to think like a pastry chef. What can I make in quantities large enough to serve a crowd? How can I get most, if not all, of the work done ahead of time? And most importantly, what will be delicious?
To gather ideas, we turned to Ashley Thomas and Morgan Perkins, co-owners of Atlanta-based Galette, makers of small-batch pastries they sell at local farmers markets.
Galette started with a limited menu of galettes, cookies, muffins and doughnuts. “It was a menu of things we could make and prep quickly since we were paying by the hour for the kitchen space,” said Thomas. During the pandemic, they acquired a cottage food license so they could bake in Thomas’ home.
Now with a kitchen basically available 24/7, they offer sourdough croissants plain or filled with pistachio or almond cream, or chocolate. They still offer both sweet and savory galettes and cookies and make such items as Bakewell hand pies, a market favorite. “We have a base of things we always offer but we like having a space to play,” said Perkins. “It’s important to us to have the opportunity to be creative outside of our basic large-scale production by making things like our cruffins or entremets.”
Large scale means going through 50 pounds of butter a week to turn out between two and five dozen sweet galettes, 18 to 30 savory galettes, four to six dozen croissants, and more. “Ashley and I split the stuff. I do the doughs; she makes more of the fillings and creams,” said Perkins. “And we’re up early, starting out baking around midnight or 1 a.m. We’re not baking things two days in advance. We want everybody to have the best possible croissant, for example, so we bake it early in the morning before we take it to market.”
When thinking about holiday baking that could be prepped or even baked ahead, they had three suggestions: sables, sticky toffee pudding bites and gougeres.
Their Cheddar Black Pepper Sables are “nice, crumbly, herby savory cheese coins that are perfect for parties,” said Thomas.
Their Sticky Toffee Pudding Bites give a nod to “The Great British Bake Off” and British steamed puddings.
“These feel very festive for the holidays,” said Perkins, “but they’re easy, flavor-packed and can be done ahead of time. A full serving of sticky toffee pudding is so rich, really too much, but these bites are just right.”
The gougeres are made with a choux dough, which is the basis for eclairs, cream puffs and profiteroles. “They are made with good shredded cheese, and black pepper and mustard powder to give it some interest. They sound so fancy, but they’re surprisingly easy to make,” said Thomas.
RECIPES
Ashley Thomas and Morgan Perkins, co-owners of Galette, offer three recipes that can be prepped ahead of time and baked the day of, or right before, your holiday gathering. Note that they use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton’s kosher salt, cut the quantity to about 3/4 of what is in the recipes, and if you use table salt, cut the quantity in half.
Cheddar Black Pepper Sables
Make ahead: These sables can be made ahead of time and stored for up to 5 days. Or if you would like to bake on the day of your party, prepare the dough ahead of time and freeze until firm, storing for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw dough just enough to be sliceable and proceed to bake as directed.
Do not use pre-shredded cheese in this recipe because of the starch used in processed shredded cheese. If you don’t have Piment d’Espelette, substitute sweet smoked paprika with a dash of cayenne.
If you want to make this into a more substantial bite, serve with cream cheese or chevre and pepper jelly or tomato jam.
- 1 3/4 cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 grams) unsalted cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 1/3 cups (150 grams) aged sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) Parmesan, shredded
- 1 tablespoon minced rosemary
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Piment d’Espelette
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Rosemary Salt (see recipe)
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine flour, butter, cheddar, Parmesan, rosemary, baking powder, kosher salt, Piment d’Espellete and black pepper. Pulse until mixture comes together and forms a dough.
- Remove dough from processor and shape into a cylinder 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap with a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze until firm but not completely frozen, about 30 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice cylinder into 1/4-inch-wide coins, turning the cylinder every few cuts in order to keep the roll in a round shape. Arrange 20 sables on each prepared baking sheet, allowing 1/2-inch between each. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until sables have turned golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with Rosemary Salt, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining sable dough, which will be enough for 32 more cookies. Parchment paper can be reused.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per sable: 43 calories (percent of calories from fat, 63), 1 gram protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 3 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 9 milligrams cholesterol, 69 milligrams sodium.Rosemary Salt
- 1/2 cup flaky sea salt
- 2 tablespoons minced rosemary leaves
- In the bowl of food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the salt and rosemary until the rosemary is very finely chopped but the salt still has some texture. Store covered in a dark, cool place. It can be kept in the pantry indefinitely.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per teaspoon: 35 calories (percent of calories from fat, 0), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 2,314 milligrams sodium.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Bites
Make ahead: Bake the bites, allow them to cool and freeze them in a covered container or food-safe plastic bag. When ready to serve, arrange the frozen bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet and heat in a 350-degree oven until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
No coffee extract? Brew some strong coffee and use that to soak the dates instead of using hot water and coffee extract.
If you only have one mini-muffin pan, bake half the batter, then allow the pan to cool, wipe out, grease the pan and bake the rest. And if you have no mini-muffin pans, bake the batter in a rimmed baking sheet until just done in the center, about 25 minutes, allow to cool, and cut into 1-inch squares.
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, plus butter for greasing mini-muffin pans
- 1 cup (263 grams) pitted dates
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (263 grams) boiling water
- 2 teaspoons coffee extract
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (260 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 1/4 cups (225 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- Sticky Toffee Sauce (see recipe)
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use butter to grease two (24-cup) mini-muffin pans.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse dates until finely chopped. Move dates to a small bowl and add boiling water. Stir in coffee extract, vanilla bean paste and baking soda. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cloves in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Fold in flour mixture, then fold in date mixture.
- Divide batter between muffin cups. Bake 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- When muffins are done, carefully unmold them onto a wire rack. If serving immediately, arrange two muffins on a serving plate and top each with 1 1/2 teaspoons Sticky Toffee Sauce.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving (2 bites with 1 1/2 teaspoons Sticky Toffee Sauce each): 251 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 2 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 12 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 55 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium. Per serving (2 bites without Sticky Toffee Sauce): 151 calories (percent of calories from fat, 27), 2 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 5 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 33 milligrams cholesterol, 199 milligrams sodium.Sticky Toffee Sauce
Make ahead: Make the sauce and cool completely, then store in a covered jar in the refrigerator. When ready to use, warm in a small saucepan.
- 12 tablespoons (165 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups (263 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- Salt, to taste
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, cream, vanilla bean paste and a pinch of salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved and sauce has thickened slightly. Allow to cool slightly and taste for salt. Keep warm until ready to use.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1 1/2 teaspoon serving: 52 calories (percent of calories from fat, 69), trace protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 4 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 11 milligrams cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium.
Gougeres
Make ahead: Bake, cool and freeze gougeres on a baking sheet. When frozen, move to a food-safe plastic bag. To refresh, heat oven to 350 degrees, arrange puffs on a baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 5 minutes. If you prefer, you can freeze the puffs before baking by forming them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freezing. Once frozen through, store in a food-safe plastic bag. When ready to bake, arrange frozen puffs on a baking sheet and follow directions in recipe, allowing 2 or 3 more minutes of baking time.
These puffs are delightful fresh from the oven. If you bake ahead, freeze and then warm before serving, the center will not have the original creamy texture but will be perfect filled with a wedge of apple and slice of brie or with a piped filling of whipped goat cheese.
Thomas and Perkins say do not use pre-shredded cheese in this recipe.
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 eggs, divided
- 1 cup sharp Gruyere, grated, plus more to top gougeres
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cream
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low, combine butter, water, milk and salt. Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. When mixture boils, remove from heat and slowly add the flour, whisking constantly. The mixture will begin to look like mashed potatoes. At that time, put saucepan over low heat, switch to a wooden spoon and continue to cook and stir until mixture forms a glossy ball in the center of the pot and a film forms on the bottom of the saucepan.
- Move the cooked dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixture to medium speed and beat the dough so it will start cooling. Crack one egg into a bowl. When dough stops steaming, carefully add the egg to the dough, beating until incorporated. Continue adding eggs, one at a time, until four eggs have been used, scraping down the bowl as needed, and the dough is glossy.
- Turn off mixer and add in Gruyere, chives, mustard powder, cayenne and black pepper. Beat on low speed until ingredients are incorporated. Transfer the batter to a disposable piping bag with a 1/2-inch opening. Pipe the dough into quarter-size dollops on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Make egg wash by beating remaining egg with cream. Brush each dollop of dough with egg wash and top each with a pinch of remaining grated Gruyere. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until they have puffed and turned golden brown. Move to a wire rack to cool.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per gougere: 56 calories (percent of calories from fat, 64), 2 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 37 milligrams cholesterol, 140 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
