Delicious Desserts made with Puff Pastry

Use store-bought puff pastry and make these quick desserts to impress friends and family. The first dessert is a delicious fruit tart with whipped cream and sliced strawberries. The second dessert uses chocolaty Nutella along with yummy bananas and coconut.

Strawberry Cream Tart

Ingredients:

• Flour, for rolling the puff pastry
• 250 grams store-bought puff pastry
• 1 cup cream (chilled)
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 box (about 200 grams) strawberries, sliced
• Icing sugar, for garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line the baking tray.
2. Sprinkle flour on work surface and roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle. Use a knife to score a rectangle into the pastry, 1-2 inches from the edge. Poke the middle of the pastry with a fork.
3. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the puff pastry has risen and golden. Set aside to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, place cream, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
5. Pour onto cooled pastry and smooth with a small spatula.
6. Cover the cream with sliced strawberries.
7. Dust with icing sugar, if desired.

Nutella Coconut Tart

Ingredients:

• Flour, for rolling the puff pastry
• 250 grams store-bought puff pastry
• 1 cup Nutella (or other chocolate spread)
• 3 bananas, sliced
• 2 tablespoons grated coconut

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line the baking tray.
2. Sprinkle flour on work surface and roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle. Use a knife to score a rectangle into the pastry, 1-2 inches from the edge. Poke the middle of the pastry with a fork.
3. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the puff pastry has risen and golden. Set aside to cool completely.
4. Pour Nutella onto cooled pastry and smooth with a small spatula.
5. Cover the Nutella with sliced bananas.
6. Garnish with shredded coconut on top.

Note: Puff pastry is now easily available at major supermarkets in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad and is also available at bakeries on advance order.

In case strawberries are not available, use other seasonal fruit such as mangoes.