Christmas Star Pastries
A festive star pastry for Christmas. Make these for Christmas brunch! Tender, sweet, buttery pastry, fruit preserves and a sprinkle of sugar make these a sweet treat for breakfast. They are also easier than they look!
Yield: 10 pastries
Materials
- 2 sticks (250 g) butter, softened
- ⅔ cup (160 g) riccota, part-skim (see note)
- ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream (see note)
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) bread flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup jam or fruit preserves (any flavor) (such as raspberry, apricot or plum)
- 1 egg, beaten
- decorative sugars, sprinkles or powdered sugar to decorate (optional) (such as pearl sugar, sanding sugar or raw sugar)
Instructions
- In a large bowl or a stand mixer, cream together the butter, riccotta, sour cream and sugar. Beat for 1 minute. Add the vanilla and mix in. In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture all at once. Mix on low until a dough forms.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir a few times to form a ball. Divide the dough in two halves. Place each on a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Press into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425° F (220°C). Liberally flour your work surface and a rolling pin. Unwrap one disk of dough. Roll dough out to about ¼" (5mm) thickness. Cut out 4 inch (10 cm) squares with a sharp knife. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Re-roll any scraps and cut out more squares. Repeat with the second dough disk.
- For each square, cut a 1 inch (2½ cm) line from each corner towards the center. Drop a teaspoon of jam into the center of each square. Pull a corner into the center and press down gently. Dab the tip with a wet fingertip. Pull another corner down and stick the previous tip. Repeat, alternating, until you have a star shape.
- Brush each star with the beaten egg. Sprinkle each one with some sugar or sprinkles (if using). Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pan, then transfer to a wire rack. May be eaten when slightly warm but not piping hot (preserves will be very hot!). Pastries will keep for 2 days but best eaten the day they are made.
Notes
-if quark is readily available, use 1 cup (250 g) of it instead of the ricotta and sour cream
-if decorating with powdered sugar, dust the pastries when cool
-decorative sugars can be found in the baking aisle at grocery stores or craft stores. Look for sanding sugar, pearl sugar or colored, sparkling sugar. Raw sugar also works well.
-if making pastries the day before, re-warm slightly in a moderate oven for a few minutes.