I cannot stand starting with a cliché, but autumn is here and it’s pumpkin season, like it or not. Pumpkin puff pastry desserts are divine, but add a layer of decadent vanilla pastry cream & it’s an all new dessert. Now, take that dessert and make it in the shape of a snowflake flower and you have damn near created world peace.
Is this puff pastry a thing of beauty or what? The hardest decision was to mix the pumpkin butter & vanilla cream together or use in separate layers. I decided on separate layers with a 3-layer puff pastry for a more decorative presentation. Seriously, why do we sometimes make simple things harder? I did use my own Homemade Puff Pastry, and it’s just as divine as store bought.
First task is to make the vanilla pastry cream, which is done on the stovetop as it needs time to cool in the fridge for spreading.
Line your counter with parchment paper, cut to size of baking sheet if using a rimmed one. For using store bought puff pastry, cut off corners, and roll out if needed for an approximate12-inch circle. For those of you who want to make your own puff pastry, like yours truly, here is a link to Gluten Free Puff Pastry. My Gluten Free Puffy Pastry can also be used with regular flour. I did use my own, but no judgment using store bought; heaven knows I have!
Now, if you’re in the market for a new good quality rolling pin, Farberware has a terrific one, which is usually on sale at Amazon.
For the pumpkin layer you can use store bought pumpkin butter (1 cup), or use my quick pumpkin butter recipe I use for baking. It’s quick to make on the stove top with a little left over for toast.
Now, place the second puff pastry sheet on top of pumpkin and spread on the vanilla cream (1 cup).
The last layer is the 3rd sheet of puff pastry placed on top of vanilla cream.
For creating the Snowflake Flower place a small jar or cookie cutter in the center of the puff pastry as a center guide. Cut the pastry into 16 “pie” strips. (Start with quarters, cut quarters in half, etc.)
Twist 2 strips at a time inward creating at least 2 twists. Tuck the ends together. Continue around the entire pastry; you will have 8 snowflake flower petals. Remove the center guide.
Baking Pumpkin Cream Puff Pastry:
Brush with egg wash before baking for that beautiful color. Remember, temperature matters for puff pastry to puff. Bake this beautiful pastry @ 425 F for 25 minutes. (If your oven cooks on the hot side, like mine, lower to 400 F.)
We like to pull off a piece and dip into whipped cream, it’s pumpkin, right? All pumpkin desserts are fantabulous with whipped cream!
Alrighty, time to create this gorgeous flaky pastry! Have fun pie peeps!
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Pumpkin Cream Puff Pastry Snowflake Flower
Ingredients
- 3 sheets puff pastry (trimmed/rolled to 12 inches round)** (If using homemade puff pastry you will need 3/4 of one recipe. Each recipe makes 4 sheets puff pastry.)
- 1 cup Vanilla Cream Filling (see recipe below)
- 1 cup Pumpkin Butter (see recipe below)
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Vanilla Pastry Cream Filling
- 1 cup cup half & half
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour (regular or gluten-free) (Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1)
- Dash of salt
Pumpkin Butter
- One 15-ounce canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling mix)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/3 cup whole milk or half & half
Instructions
Vanilla Pastry Cream Filling
- In a small bowl, stir the sugar, flour, and salt together, set aside.
- In a medium sized sauce pan, whisk the half & half with the beaten egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Place pan over medium heat and slowly whisk in sugar/mixture to eliminate lumps forming.
- Cook and stir with whisk (getting bottom and side of pan) until mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes depending on your stove top.
- Remove from heat and pour into bowl and cover with plastic wrap pushed onto surface to prevent skin from forming, and place in refrigerator to cool.
Quick & Easy Pumpkin Butter
- Over medium heat, in a medium sized sauce pan, add canned pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, and milk (or half & half).
- Cook and stir until the mixture is heated through. It will be fairly thick so stirring is important to keep from scorching or large blobs exploding onto stovetop, hands, etc.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir while simmering an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, transfer into bowl and let cool in fridge until ready to use. Store extra in container with lid after cooled.
Assembly of Snowflake Flower
- Preheat oven to 425 F. *** see notes below for oven temp/time.
- Line countertop with parchment, lightly flour, and roll out/trim (separately) 3 individual pieces of puff pastry to approximately 12-inches.
- On a parchment lined baking sheet, place one circle of puff pastry onto parchment line baking sheet. Spread 1 cup of cooled pumpkin butter.
- Place on 2nd circle of puff pastry on to pumpkin layer. Spread 1 cup of cooled vanilla pastry cream.
- Place 3rd & final circle layer of puff pastry on top.
- In the center of the circle, place a glass or round biscuit cutter as a guide for uniform-cuts.
- Cut the circle into 4 equal quarters. Then cut each quarter into equal halves, and then each piece into half again. You will have 16 equal sections.
- Take 2 sections and twist outward, fairly symmetrically, and pinch the two ends together. Repeat around the entire pastry.
- Brush with egg wash and let rest about 10 minutes. Bake @ 425 F for 25 to 30 minutes.*** (see notes below about temp/time)
