If you love the sound of any dessert, canape or pie with pastry, but avoid making them at home because the recipes sound complicated, finicky and time-consuming, you're not alone.
Sweet and savoury pastry dishes can be a chore, but that's only if you make the pastry from scratch -- ain't nobody got time for that.
The trick? Use store-bought pastry, which takes literal hours out of recipes and still results in incredibly tasty dishes.
Here are eight delicious ways to use store-bought pastry.
1. Cinnamon sugar apple puff pastry
From How Sweet Eats.
This beautiful apple pastry looks fancy, but it's really one of the easiest and quickest desserts you can make. All you need to do it get puff pastry, brush it with egg wash, add apple slices and shower it with cinnamon sugar and caramel.
2. Pigs in a puff pastry blanket
From Foodie Crush.
Everyone has fond memories of pigs in a blanket, the ultimate kids' party food, and this recipe couldn't be easier. Simply spread mustard on puff pastry pieces, sprinkle with herbs and roll the sausage up in the pastry. Bake until golden, dip into tomato sauce and enjoy.
3. Puff pastry almond croissants
From How Sweet Eats.
If the sound of light, pillowy, golden and flaky croissants makes you salivate, try this cheat's version using store-bought puff pastry, extra butter and an almond syrup glaze. Oh, and you can make them in just over 30 minutes.
4. Deep dish apple crumble pie
From Minimalist Baker.
Fruit crumbles are the perfect winter dessert and this deep dish apple crumble pie is the real deal. Using store-bought pastry as the base, fill the pie with sweet cinnamon-spiced apples and top with a hearty crumble topping. Once baked until golden, serve with ice cream.
5. Puff pastry smoked salmon and crème fraîche quiche
From Foodie Crush.
Prefer a savoury pastry dish? Try this quiche which consists of a puff pastry crust filled with custard-like eggs, smoked salmon, fresh dill, and crème fraîche (or goat cheese, if you prefer). Serve with a fresh side salad to complete the meal.
6. Cookies and cream puff pastry doughnuts
From How Sweet Eats.
Easy cronuts, made at home? Yep, it's possible. These flaky, wonderful doughnuts are made simple thanks to store-bought puff pastry sheets, which are layered on top of one another and cut into doughnut shapes using a cookie cutter. Fry until golden and puffy, and top with glaze and cookie crumbs.
7. Pear and plum puff pastry tart with blue cheese
From Foodie Crush.
We all know how well cheese and fruit go together, and this delicious tart is a butter-filled celebration of this pairing. Imagine golden puff pastry topped with sliced pear and plum, drizzled with honey and garnished with blue cheese crumbs and thyme leaves.
8. Super easy pepperoni pizza puff pastry
From How Sweet Eats.
The next time you go to a potluck dinner, make these pepperoni pizza puff pastry squares, which are just as delicious as they sound: flaky pastry, sauce, garlic, cheese, Italian herbs and pepperoni.