Cheater Kouign Amann Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the fattiest pastry in the world? ›

Some Bretons claim that this signature treat (which is pronounced “queen ah-MAHN”), made by artisans across the region, is the fattiest pastry in the world. Epicure & Culture calls the kouign-amann Brittany's equivalent to the Paris croissant.

Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. Place pastries 1 inch apart. If you want a flaky thin and crispy pastry that's not very puffy, prick the unbaked Puff Pastry all over with a fork, which lets steam escape while baking.

kouignoù-amann) is a sweet Breton cake made with laminated dough. It is a round multi-layered cake, originally made with bread dough (nowadays sometimes viennoiserie dough), containing layers of butter and incorporated sugar, similar in fashion to puff pastry albeit with fewer layers.

The Legend & History of the Kouign Amann

This queen hails from Brittany, a region in western France. It is a specialty from the town of Douarnenez in Finistère, Brittany, and originated around 1860.

Pastries made with whole wheat flour and minimal added sugar are the healthiest pastries. You can find whole wheat pastry dough options for both puff pastry and filo pastry, two of the most common pastry dough types.

Adding vinegar tenderizes the pastry. It inhibits gluten from forming there by making the pastry tender and flaky.

Milk is too runny and will burn but you can add a little to your egg wash to make it a little thinner for coating. Melted butter also burns quite quickly. Egg wash is the most reliable because it coats the pastry evenly and doesn't run off.

The main differences between puff pastry and phyllo dough are their fat content and preparation. Puff pastry is a laminated dough that gets its signature airy puff from layers of butter, while phyllo dough is comparatively low-fat. Phyllo dough is mostly flour and water and can dry out easily.

Another story tells of a dim sum chef's wife creating a pastry with wintermelon paste influenced by a recipe from her mother's family. The new pastry was found to taste better than the dim sums that were being sold in teahouses, and the chef proudly told everyone it was made by his wife, hence it was named "Wife Cake".

What is a mignon pastry? ›

Mignon means small and pretty, dainty in English, in Hungary this word refers to mini filled cakes coated in a thick sugar glaze. Henrik Kugler was the first confectioner in Hungary who made mignon cakes in the 19th century.

Most are also waiting to purchase one of the kouign-amann, dubbed 'the fattiest pastry in Europe', which sit in stacks behind the counter, their laminated pastry glinting as they're picked up and slipped into a greaseproof paper bag. Eaten warm, the cakes are an exercise in indulgence.

whose name is also typically Breton, "kouign" meaning cake and "amann" meaning butter. In order to make the most of its soft interior and its crunchy exterior made crunchy by the caramelisation of the sugar, it is advisable to taste the warm kouign-amann with a good glass of chouchen or a few pieces of apple.

Butter: This is the queen of fats, not so much because of its ability to make a flaky pastry, but because it adds so much flavor and richness. Grocery coolers are stocked with sweet cream butter, but that doesn't mean it's been sweetened, only that it's made from pure cream.

Most are also waiting to purchase one of the kouign-amann, dubbed 'the fattiest pastry in Europe', which sit in stacks behind the counter, their laminated pastry glinting as they're picked up and slipped into a greaseproof paper bag. Eaten warm, the cakes are an exercise in indulgence.

Sweet treats like cakes, biscuits and pastries are contributing a large amount of saturated fat to our diets – and of course, most of these foods are high in sugar too.