Cinnamon butter puff pastry star
Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 25–30 minutes Serves: 8–10
Flaky, buttery layers of puff pastry twisted around a warm cinnamon-butter filling and baked until deeply golden and crisp. It looks elaborate, but the shaping is surprisingly simple. Ingredients 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed but still cold 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft ⅓ cup packed brown sugar 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Small pinch of salt 1 egg 1 tablespoon water Optional for serving: powdered sugar or a simple vanilla glaze Instructions 1. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Make the cinnamon butter. Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until smooth and spreadable. 3. Shape the pastry. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Gently roll it just enough to smooth the seams. Using a large dinner plate as a guide, cut the pastry into a circle. Repeat with the second sheet. 4. Fill it. Place the first pastry circle on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cinnamon butter evenly over it, leaving about ½ inch around the outside edge. Place the second pastry circle directly on top and gently press around the edge. 5. Create the star. Set a small glass or round cutter, about 2½–3 inches wide, in the center as a guide—don’t cut through it. Starting at the edge of the glass, cut outward through both pastry layers to divide the circle into 16 equal strips. Take two neighboring strips and twist them away from each other 2–3 times. Pinch their ends together to form a point. Continue around the pastry until you have 8 star points. Remove the glass. 6. Egg wash. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the entire exposed surface lightly with the egg wash, including the center and twisted sections. 7. Bake. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, crisp and a rich golden brown. If the tips begin browning too quickly, loosely cover them with foil for the final few minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Optional Vanilla Glaze For a sweeter version, whisk together ½ cup powdered sugar, 1–2 tablespoons milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla and drizzle it lightly over the warm pastry. Basil & Birch note Serve it by letting everyone pull off one of the cinnamon-filled twists. It’s essentially the Christmas-morning child of a cinnamon roll and a croissant—and it requires considerably less patience than either one. 😆
Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 25–30 minutes Serves: 8–10
Flaky, buttery layers of puff pastry twisted around a warm cinnamon-butter filling and baked until deeply golden and crisp. It looks elaborate, but the shaping is surprisingly simple. Ingredients 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed but still cold 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft ⅓ cup packed brown sugar 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Small pinch of salt 1 egg 1 tablespoon water Optional for serving: powdered sugar or a simple vanilla glaze Instructions 1. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Make the cinnamon butter. Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until smooth and spreadable. 3. Shape the pastry. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Gently roll it just enough to smooth the seams. Using a large dinner plate as a guide, cut the pastry into a circle. Repeat with the second sheet. 4. Fill it. Place the first pastry circle on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cinnamon butter evenly over it, leaving about ½ inch around the outside edge. Place the second pastry circle directly on top and gently press around the edge. 5. Create the star. Set a small glass or round cutter, about 2½–3 inches wide, in the center as a guide—don’t cut through it. Starting at the edge of the glass, cut outward through both pastry layers to divide the circle into 16 equal strips. Take two neighboring strips and twist them away from each other 2–3 times. Pinch their ends together to form a point. Continue around the pastry until you have 8 star points. Remove the glass. 6. Egg wash. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the entire exposed surface lightly with the egg wash, including the center and twisted sections. 7. Bake. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, crisp and a rich golden brown. If the tips begin browning too quickly, loosely cover them with foil for the final few minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Optional Vanilla Glaze For a sweeter version, whisk together ½ cup powdered sugar, 1–2 tablespoons milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla and drizzle it lightly over the warm pastry. Basil & Birch note Serve it by letting everyone pull off one of the cinnamon-filled twists. It’s essentially the Christmas-morning child of a cinnamon roll and a croissant—and it requires considerably less patience than either one. 😆
