Pastries!

Like I said, I was giddy with glee that the pastries turned out so well. :-)

First up: Baked Apple Pastries.


Puff pastry layered with homemade pastry creme, fresh apple slices, and topped liberally with cinnamon and sugar.




Next up, I made the pastries I had most been looking forward to. You see, I fell in love with a seasonal item at Panera®, and they haven't brought it back since the fall of '07. But now? Now I don't need them! I can make my own!

Second: Caramel Apple Pastries.


Puff pastry topped with pastry creme, layered with fresh apple slices, dusted with cinnamon & sugar, then liberally coated with caramel sauce. Fresh out of the oven, I sprinkled them with powdered sugar.



The final attempt was Strawberry Pastries. I first baked a few with the berries on, but those didn't turn out so well. They tasted fine, but the strawberries lost their bright color and firmness in the oven, and they just weren't very aesthetically pleasing (hence, no photos). So I baked a couple more without the berries, and as soon as the timer went off, I pulled the hot pastries out and popped the fresh berries into the moist creme in the center. Ta-da!

Third: Fresh Strawberry Pastry.


Puff pastry layered with pastry creme, then topped with fresh strawberries and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Lastly, and not really planned, I baked a couple "plain" Cheese Pastries. I dusted the creme with a bit of cinnamon & sugar before baking, and I took a picture of them alongside the Strawberry ones. A.J. really liked these. :-)



Success! I will definitely be making these again. :-)