This picture takes me back to a fond memory I had while in Istanbul, Turkey during my externship as a Pastry Chef. I was given the privilege of spending the entire day baking with this Chef, who has cooked for royalty, and has spent his career fine tuning the art of pastry. He and I are pictured here with the sweet and savory bakery delicacies that we made, and I might add, enjoyed eating.. I learned so much from him that day; what a treat!
Initially, making pastries can appear intimidating but the truth is, the reward for a few extra steps and plenty of patience for resting, chilling, kneading and folding is so worth it! But the real difference is in the flavor! The taste of rich butter, flaky crusts and deliciously fresh ingredients encased in this show stopper category is definitely well worth diving into the works of homemade pastries.
The recipe I want to share with you is one that I developed for a class I had planned to teach at a really great Olive Oil Shop in Murphys, called, Marisolio Tasting Bar. They often have me teach as a guest chef and incorporate their amazing Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegars into my recipes. Currently, the Pandemic has made it impossible for the classes to continue, so I figured this would be a great place to share my recipe and hopefully inspire someone to venture out with homemade pastry.
Being that I developed the recipe for this specific store, I do reference a few of their products, but the good news is that you can purchase these products online at www.marisoliotastingbar.com or use a suitable substitution that you like.
Now lets get going on this pastry...
Are you able to see the multiple layers of deliciousness here? I think pastry is my weakness when it comes to indulging in baked goods. A perfect balance of butter, a little sweet, some fruit and the tender, flakiness of this pastry dough is calling my name! And let's not forget that drizzle of Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar that takes this pastry to a whole new level of flavor.
So here it is in the most simplest form. I do hope you will give it a try and let me know your thoughts. There are endless possibilities to the shapes and fillings to make this both sweet and savory. I hope you enjoy this homemade pastry as much as I do!
Blessings to you, Jeanette
Recipe- Homemade Pastry With Balsamic Berry Filling
Ingredients for the Pastry:
1 1/4 Cups Very Cold Butter
1/2 Cup Very Cold water
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Cups AP Flour (All Purpose)
*Confectioners Sugar
* Egg Wash
Ingredients for the Filling:
1 Tablespoon Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 Cups Chopped Strawberries
Directions: