TikTok Hack With Upside Down Puff Pastry Is Actually Pretty Good
Sometimes I wonder if TikTok is just a bunch of food “hacks” that don’t hack anything, or if it’s some grand conspiracy to make me do stupid things like drink a lot of balsamic vinegar . Probably both. I decided to pout again and try the upside down puff pastry craft. I can’t say it solves my puff pastry problems, but I agree to admit that it’s actually pretty tasty.
The classic way to make a small piece of puff pastry is to place a piece of defrosted puff pastry on a baking sheet. Add some delicious ingredients like asparagus and cheese or chopped sausage and peppers, egg wash and bake. The puff pastry at the bottom rises elegantly, while the ingredients in the middle are cooked until soft. The inverted version builds it in reverse order. The “toppings” go straight to the baking sheet and you cover them with puff pastry. Wash the egg for aesthetics and bake. The puff pastry is baked high and once browned, you turn it over to reveal the filling.
I can’t say that this version is easier, the amount of work is the same, but in a different order. However, this opens the door for caramelization and Maillard browning , as the filling is in direct contact with the hot metal sheet. I’ve had the best results when I’ve used this to my advantage by first stacking ingredients prone to browning like cheese or sugar. I made parmesan, asparagus and Dijon pastry, it was pure perfection. I used a dark, unlined tray to keep my cheese as colorful and crispy as possible. I was going to make a layer of frico. I drizzled it with oil, scattered it over the cheese layer, and put a few pieces of raw asparagus on top. I sprinkled the green boys with a pinch of Dijon mustard and some more cheese.
Finally, I put a rectangle of puff pastry on top of it all and pressed it along the edges, as if I were laying it down for a dream. In the last photo there are cuts on the dough, but this is just a decorative element. If you like, you can do this after washing the eggs. The egg washed the top (the bottom will be soon) and baked it in the oven at 400°F for about 15 minutes.
The puff pastry is baked higher than if it were at the bottom. The ingredients did not weigh him down, so he rose without restraint. Visually, I was pleased. I flipped it over and saw the perfect frico-brown cap protecting my asparagus sprouts. Letting it cool, I bit into the crushing applause of a thousand crispy flakes of dough. Of course, it immediately deflates when you bite into it. This is the nature of puff pastry, not TikTok wine.
Toppings that didn’t work as well were those that didn’t benefit from being in contact with the baking sheet, such as peppers and onions, or meatballs without cheese. The puff pastry functioned as a lid and the ingredients paired and separated from the pastry shell. Not attractive or fragrant. To get the most out of your flipped puff pastry, start with something that browns well, such as parmesan, cheddar, or low-moisture mozzarella cheese, as the first ingredient. I also highly recommend making it sweet and first sprinkling white or brown sugar on a few tiny bits of butter. Not only will these ingredients add delicious flavor, but they will also be roasted and caramelized to create new, complex flavors and textures.
When it’s time to flip pastries, use a fish spatula . The ultra-thin blade of the spatula glides under the puff pastry without tearing it. If you use your hands, you will probably lose some of the filling. I used an oiled baking sheet, but you can use a sheet of parchment paper if you’re afraid the filling will stick.
The following recipe is for asparagus patties (in my region they are just in season). The combination of crunchy and chewy cheese, earthy, slightly sweet asparagus and a dash of spicy Dijon mustard is an absolute winner. And very tasty paired with a hard-boiled egg.
Tools to help make your inverted puffs look great:
Dark browning pan: 2-piece set of Wilton pans.
Fish Spatula for Gentle Flipping: Stainless Steel Fish Spatula by Molly Baz
Parchment Paper for Sticky Situations: Baker’s Signature Unbleached Parchment Paper Roll
Upside down asparagus, parmesan, Dijon bites
Ingredients:
- 8-10 small asparagus sprigs, chopped about 3 inches long.
- ½ cup to 1 cup grated Parmesan
- ½ cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 sheet thawed puff pastry, cut into 6 rectangles
- Egg for washing (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a sheet metal tray with a little oil and spread it evenly with your fingertips. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of Parmesan in 6 evenly spaced spots on the baking sheet. Make them about the same length as your asparagus and puff pastry rectangles. Sprinkle a pinch of mozzarella on top.
Lay 3 or 4 pieces of asparagus on top of the cheese. Drizzle the asparagus with a little Dijon juice to taste. It took me about half a teaspoon for each cookie. Top with another pinch of mozzarella. Cover each pile of asparagus with a rectangle of puff pastry and press the pastry down and around the filling. Brush the top with the egg mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is completely risen, well browned, and the cheese peeking out is dark brown. Let them cool for a couple of minutes and turn over with a spatula.