Puff Pastry Stacks

These are so easy to make and very professional looking. Your company won't believe they are homemade! I originally called them Puff Pastry Christmas Trees, but felt "Stacks" were more for all year round. You can change the shape of the cutters to fit the celebration, as long as they are 3 graduated sizes. e.g. Hearts for valentines day, stars for Christmas Trees, etc... You can even make smaller sized ones to make appetizers with different fillings. I have a set of flower and heart graduated appetizer sized cutters. Cutter sets for gum paste decorations are also good. The prep time includes the time to thaw pastry.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 (17 ounce) package  frozen puff pastry sheets (2 sheets)
• 1⁄3 cup  lemon curd or 1⁄3 cup prepared pudding
• 1⁄3 cup honey, warmed
•  green  decorator sugar
• 8  raspberries or 8  maraschino cherries, halves

Directions

1. Thaw pastry sheets at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400º F.
3. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface.
4. Cut 4 stars (or any shape appropriate for the occasion)of each size.
5. Use 3 star cookie cutters in graduated sizes (2-inch, 2½-inch, and 3-inch cookie cutters or Cardboard patterns).
6. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet.
7. Place stars on baking sheets.
8. Bake 10 minutes or until golden.
9. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire rack.
10. To assemble trees:
11. Top large star pastry with 1 teaspoon pudding/curd.
12. Top with medium star pastry, turning star so points do not line up.
13. Top with 1 teaspoon pudding/curd and place small star pastry on top, turning so points do not line up.
14. Repeat with remaining star pastries, making 8 trees.
15. Drizzle trees with honey.
16. Sprinkle with green sugar (or color of your choice) and top each with a raspberry or cherry half.
17. NOTE: Obviously there are many variations of this, fitting many occasions. Change the jelly; pudding for lemon curd; etc.