Easy Phyllo Pastry Tarts with Hot Pepper Jelly Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between puff pastry and phyllo pastry? ›

The main differences between puff pastry and phyllo dough are their fat content and preparation. Puff pastry is a laminated dough that gets its signature airy puff from layers of butter, while phyllo dough is comparatively low-fat. Phyllo dough is mostly flour and water and can dry out easily.

The magic of phyllo sheets comes in the layering. You'll brush oil or melted butter between each layer of phyllo. I'm using olive oil for this spinach pie. Oil the dish, add a sheet of phyllo, brush with oil, top with another phyllo sheet and repeat.

Phyllo Dough

Phyllo (also spelled filo), which means “leaf” in Greek, is tissue-thin sheets of dough that have very little fat. Many popular Greek dishes, such as baklava and spanakopita, are made with phyllo dough. Phyllo dough can also make great edible serving cups for appetizers or desserts.

Defrost in the refrigerator to make sure those butter layers stay nice and cold, and handle the dough as little as possible. Phyllo dough is available in frozen sheets or shells. The shells do not need thawing, but the sheets must be completely thawed before using.

Even better, switch your pastry from shortcrust or puff to filo. This is the lowest-fat pastry by far, with 2.9g fat per 100g. This compares with 26.2g for puff or 31.4g for shortcrust. Filo is the lowest-calorie option too, and it's easy to use.

The crescent-shaped croissant is a flaky pastry with buttery layers whereas a puff pastry is a drier composition of dough. Both use similar ingredients and preparation work.

You can use the filo pastry from the fridge straight away, but you need to thaw the frozen filo pastry first. To do this, leave it out on the kitchen counter until it's at room temperature and pliable.

There are two key elements to promoting the extensibility necessary in the dough: adding vinegar to the dough, which weakens some of the gluten bonding, making it less elastic; and ample resting. Of course, it takes practice, just like working with any kind of dough.

To achieve a crispy and light texture with phyllo dough, make sure to brush each layer with melted butter or oil. Additionally, avoid overloading the layers with too much filling, as this can contribute to a soggy result. Bake at the recommended temperature, and keep a close eye on it to prevent over-browning.

If phyllo thaws too quickly, or if the sheets are cold when you unfold them, they will crack along the folds or stick together at the corners. Thawed phyllo sheets will dry out quickly, especially in a hot kitchen; always keep the unfolded pastry between two dry towels while working with it.

What is an alternative to phyllo? ›

Do you have to brush filo with butter? Not necessarily, but butter is used traditionally and creates beautifully golden and crisp layers. If you don't want to use butter, you still need to brush the pastry with another form of fat to help your pastry cook properly.

Phyllo dough is usually found in the frozen food section, either in flat squares or in rolls. One package contains dozens of paper-thin sheets of phyllo. Most preparations use 5 or more of these sheets stacked together. These sheets can become gummy if too damp or brittle if too dry.

Be guided by the correct temperature for each recipe. Products baked in a too hot oven will brown too much or too soon and can crack and burst open. If the oven is too cool, the pastry will dry out during baking and the inside layers may not bake sufficiently.

Unopened phyllo has a refrigerated shelf life of 4 weeks thus it can be on hand and ready to use whenever needed.

Since puff pastry is thicker and richer than phyllo dough, using phyllo in puff pastry recipes won't have the same flavor. It works in a pinch, though, if you're looking for a crispy exterior for filled appetizers or desserts. Check out these 16 puff pastry desserts that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Lower the fat content of your wellington by using filo pastry instead of puff, eliminating butter, a non-stick frying pan to reduce the amount of oil needed, replacing the pate and using herbs and garlic to boost flavour without needing salt.

How Is This Different From Pie Crust and Yeasted Pastry Dough? Pie crust, while buttery and flaky, is not nearly as light, doughy, and crisp as this shortcut puff pastry. Yeasted pastry dough, such as something we can use for croissants, croissant bread, or a pastry braid, contain yeast.

The egg roll wrapper consistency is fairly close to the that of phyllo dough layers, albeit a little thicker & a tad bit chewier.