Passover Puff Pastry?
I presume puff pastry is not kosher for passover, correct? Does anyone have a passover-friendly substitute suggestion so that I can make a tarte tatin for my family? I have a relative with a severe nut allergy, so almond flour is out of the question.
Thanks!
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20 Comments:
We found that Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is kosher because it has no butter in it. Which is why I stopped buying it and changed over to TJ's brand. I would use matzo meal in place of the almond flour as many passover cakes call for it and come out so nice.
JerzeeTomato at 9:52PM on 04/05/09
puff pastry may be kosher, but is it kosher...for passover?
ironic_username at 10:01PM on 04/05/09
@jerz - having no butter in it makes it "parve" - it is kosher because the manufacturing is rabbinicaly supervised, not because it is dairy-free. Is the TJ's brand good?
@ironic - I would say that maybe you should just make something else - I feel like matzo meal would make it too heavy to be nice and flaky
NYCEater at 10:11PM on 04/05/09
The TJ's is pretty good.
You are correct about the "for passover" rule, I would go with a ground matzo meal tart then. It should be very good. Texture is important.
JerzeeTomato at 10:31PM on 04/05/09
I'd say that puff pastry's very name would render it non kosher for passover because it contains leavening.
I tend to substitute macaroons for any item with crust - just crush them in the bottom of a tart pan and they tend to bind together. Not sure how well that would work with a tarte tatin, but it works really well for a cheesecake or custard-type filling.
sixsonnets at 9:28AM on 04/06/09
@sixsonnets - puff pastry does not contain leavening, the puffing comes from the steam created when the butter or oil evaporates in a hot oven.
@JerzeeTomato - being kosher does not make it kosher for Passover. Puff pastry contains wheat flour which is verboten at Pesach.
@ironic_username, you can make a freeform tarte type of thing with regular OK-for-Passover pastry (cake meal, potato starch, fat, egg). It won't have the same fluff of the puff pastry (unless you roll the recipe really thinly and layer it properly, which may be too hard due to the lack of gluten) but it should be fine. Or make a pavlova type of dessert by creating meringue cups and filling them with the cooked fruits. If you make kisses also, you can set one jauntily on top of each filling like a hat.
Another option would be a sponge cake roll with matzoh cake meal and spices, and fill it with the cooked fruits. If you try sixsonnets' idea, I would prebake the crust a bit as if you were crisping up a graham cracker or cooky crust. I could see doing that with a potato starch pudding made with tropical fruit juices, crushed pineapple, something like that. Just be sure the maccaroons do not have any nuts in them, as many do.
morgancain at 11:27AM on 04/06/09
To be perfectly honest, I suggest you give up your dream of making a tarte tatin for passover - it just won't be very good, but there are many alternative desserts that don't require substitutions that can be good.
Macaroons are a favorite of mine and there are some good flourless chocolate cakes out there.
Its only one week - save the tarte for later :)
http://bakingandmistaking.blogspot.com
cool2bars at 12:22PM on 04/06/09
I'm with cool2bars on this one. Make something that's sure to work and guaranteed to be acceptable. It these substitutions were long term, it would make sense to try to figure out how to create this one dessert because you'd be making it again and again. But if it's short term, just go with something else.
The other issue you might run up against is perception. If people think you messed up and it might not be acceptable for passover, they might skip it just to be safe. Either that, or they're going to grill you on what sort of flour, what else is in there, how did you do this or that...and all the fun is out of it. And then you might find out that you did mess up and miss some subtle thing that you weren't aware of.
Better to find a proven recipe in this case and save the tarte for later.
dbcurrie at 12:45PM on 04/06/09
@morgancain: yes I know that puff pastry contains no yeast, but it does puff - and therefore violates the spirit, if not the letter, of Passover. :)
sixsonnets at 12:48PM on 04/06/09
I would make a flourless chocolate cake...they're delish and easy to make...then you don't have to stress...
If you're married to the tarte tatin, you could try using soy flour, or gluten free, but I'm not sure if either of those are kosher for passover...
KateRuby at 1:17PM on 04/06/09
If there's meat on the table, isn't butter verboten (as regards a flourless chocolate cake)?
joc1234 at 3:00PM on 04/06/09
Or as regards puff pastry, for that matter?
joc1234 at 3:03PM on 04/06/09
Puff pastry in any form or brand is not kosher for Passover, though it may be parve.
Make a nut tart with ground nuts instead or use matzoh meal.
Make the tart tatin next week! when you can do it right!
Stacey Snacks at 3:45PM on 04/06/09
Puff paste is not kosher for Passover. Anything that is would be marked with the "P" symbol, and products made with flour need to be prepared under rabbinical supervision to ensure that they don't rise at all and that they are only cooked for a certain number of minutes. Eliminating rising is as critical to be kosher for Passover as leavening.
The supervision and timing are the reason why homemade matzoh is not considered kosher for Passover.
There's more information about the symbols here:
http://kosherfood.about.com/od/guidetokosherfoodlabels/ss/symbols_7.htm
MMinNYC at 5:01PM on 04/06/09
@joc1234 - Yes, meat and butter don't mix, but I've made successful flourless chocolate cakes with margarine.
Baking and Mistaking
cool2bars at 8:38PM on 04/06/09
Funny how people don't read the fine print. Having a nut allergy at Passover is difficult though I agree with the posters who say that giving up your dream of Tarte Tatin would be the way to go. Tarte Tatin does not go with Passover at all.
Why not make these coconut-chocolate chip macaroons (coconut is not usually included with nut allergies but do check to be sure).
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-chunk-macaroons?lnc=abe8dc53f03ee010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=taxonomylist_food_macaroons
Some type of apple crisp with matzoh meal topping might work, or just make David Lebovitz's incredible chocolate-covered matzoh:
http://www.izzyeats.com/2007/04/let-my-people-and-yours-eat.html
You can't go wrong with that!
izzy's mama at 9:31PM on 04/06/09
Here's a link to Smitten Kitchen's 17 Passover dessert ideas. Ignore anything that suggests peanuts/peanut butter, though, as some of your guests might not eat legumes during Passover.
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/17-passover-dessert-ideas/#more-487
juliec at 11:59AM on 04/07/09
YOu know, I do actually have a recipe for something like that, though maybe not. It's a recipe for a "crust" for shepherd's pie, but it comes otu more like a crepe. You need to use cake meal (finely ground matzah meal), eggs and water, but I'm forgetting the amounts right now. POtato starch might be involved as well. My Pesach cookbooks are still boxed up with the pots and pans but will be unpacked tonight, bli ayin hara.
@juliec, cashew butter is KfP. I recommend the Haddar brand. It's almost twice as much as what I'd get a Stop & Shop, but it's more than twice the deliciousness.
But this... THIS is my favorite Passover dessert: Chocolate covered matzah, KfP marshmallows, a tea light. Because you can light a candle from an existing flame, light some tea lights, use some kebab skewers for sticks, toast them marshmallows REAL good, and s'mores yourself silly. I had this epiphany three years ago and now it's a family tradition.
Stufsocker at 3:43PM on 04/07/09
We're having matzah-chocolate-peanut brittle (or brickle? I dunno) for our Kosher vegetarian Passover! That is a whole lotta dietary restriction for one evening, but I am busy stewing up some roasted vegetable stock for matzoh ball soup.
inothernews at 8:47PM on 04/07/09
TJ's puff pasty is sweetened. Try making a savory dish with it, YUCK!
I'll take bland Pepperidge Farm over TJs sweet stuff any day.
peekpoke at 10:07AM on 04/08/09