Ingredients

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed
1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry sheet into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle. Brush pastry with some of the milk; sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pepper. Starting at a short side, loosely roll up into a spiral, stopping at the center. Repeat rolling up, starting at the other short side. Wrap in plastic wrap; freeze for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or foil; set aside. Unwrap roll and place on a cutting board. Brush with remaining milk. Using a serrated knife and a sawing motion, cut pastry roll crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets, reshaping as necessary.
3. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until crisp and golden. Transfer to a wire rack; cool slightly. Serve warm.

Makes about 24 spirals.

Nutritional information per serving: servings per recipe 24 servings; calories 50, total fat (g)4, cholesterol (mg)1, sodium (mg)59, carbohydrate (g)4, protein (g)1

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Ingredients

1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package puff pastry (1 sheet)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups peeled, diced Granny Smith apples
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
Confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it's easy to handle. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Stir the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the apples, pecans, and butter and toss to coat.
3. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 15-by-10-inch rectangle. Brush the pastry sheet with water. With the long side facing you, spoon the apple mixture on the pastry to within 2 inches of the long sides and to the edge of the short sides. Starting at a long side, roll up like a jelly roll. Cut the pastry roll into 12 (1 1/4-inch) slices. Place the slices 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.

Makes 12 spirals.

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Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter — 5 tablespoons cut into small pieces and chilled, 2 tablespoons melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon milk
2 tablespoons apricot preserves, strained
2 large Bosc pears
1/2 teaspoon very hot water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the flour with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the salt. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg over the flour mixture and stir. Working quickly, gather the dough into a smooth mass, squeezing it gently. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat it into a 5-inch disk. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm but not hard, about 30 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 9 1/2-inch round, turning it clockwise an inch or two each time you roll to maintain an even shape. Transfer the dough to a heavy flat baking sheet. Fold up 1/4 inch of the edge of the dough.
4. Brush the rim with a little of the remaining beaten egg. Brush 1 tablespoon of the apricot preserves over the bottom of the dough and refrigerate while you prepare the pears.
5. Peel, quarter, and core the pears. Slice each quarter lengthwise into 5 thin wedges. Arrange as many of the pear wedges as can fit on the dough in a spoke pattern, overlapping them slightly. Brush the pear slices with the melted butter, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar.
6. Bake the galette in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender and the pastry is crisp and golden. Carefully slide the galette onto a rack to cool slightly.
7. Stir the hot water into the remaining 1 tablespoon of apricot preserves and brush on the pears. Serve the galette at room temperature.

Serves 6.

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