Sweet Puff Pillows – Travesseiras
Serve Sweet Puff Pillows – Travesseiras as a light dessert or as a snack with an espresso! This delicately light pillow of puff pastry is filled with the traditional almond egg sweet cream, but you can update it by using a custard cream, lemon curd, chocolate cream or whatever suits your fancy. The best part is they are easy to make and you don’t have to make your puff pastry. Good quality store-bought, butter based puff pastry gives it a wonderful shortcut. Ground almond are often added , but for those with allergies to tree nuts, this filling the plain egg yolk cream.
Make the Sweet Egg filling ahead:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- Peel of 1 lemon
- 10 extra large egg yolks
- In a small pot set over high heat, bring the water to a boil and stir in the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer, dissolving the sugar and forming a light syrup, until the syrup reaches a temperature of 230º F. on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and cool for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Separately, stir the lemon peel with the yolks in a medium bowl. Quickly stirring, very slowly stream the cooled syrup into the egg yolks to temper them. If the syrup is too hot, it will curdle the eggs. When the egg yolks have warmed, transfer them into the pot. Return the pot to the stove and set over medium -low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the egg sweet cream is thickened, about 12 minutes. Discard lemon peel. Transfer filling to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pressed against the surface. Chill to cool completely.
To Assemble:
- 1 pound package puff pastry, chilled, not frozen
- egg wash
- Lay out the pastry dough on a lightly floured workspace. Roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thin. Cut in 4 x 6 rectangles or the size you want. Repeat with additional sheets of puff pastry. Place about 1 tablespoon filling in the middle.
- Brush edges with egg wash. Fold over or even roll up and press the edges with the tines of a fork to seal.
- Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 400 °F until golden about 20 minutes. Cool and dust the Sweet Puff Pillows – Travesseiras with confectionery sugar.
