Homemade Raspberry Pastry Twists

These Homemade Raspberry Pastry Twists are delightful. The contrast of rich buttery pastry and sweet berry jam is absolutely perfect. 

Make these for a brunch. Make them for a spring potluck. Or, make them just to prove to yourself that making homemade puff pastry is achievable.

What makes this recipe special

Most online recipes for puff pastry twists call for using store bought items – jam that’s more sugar than fruit, and sheets of pastry straight from the freezer. Sure, that would make this dessert super, super simple to make. And if you’re pressed for time, it’s not a terrible option. However, this is a recipe for those who believe that everything is better when made from scratch. 

The raspberry jam in this recipe isn’t complicated. We’re not making a giant batch that’s safe for canning, we’re just boiling some berries and sugar until thick. And the sugar content is waaay lower than the stuff in jars at the grocery store.

The pastry we’ll make is technically a “rough puff”, meaning it’s a slightly simpler version than traditional puff pastry. It’s nothing to be intimidated by. It takes some time with a few rounds of rolling and folding the dough, but it’s worth it to get those beautiful flaky layers we love. I actually find this process pretty meditative.

For all our work making jam and pastry from scratch, we’ll be rewarded with tender, crispy pastry twists that are full of real butter flavor. With ribbons of tart jam spiraled throughout, they’re just the right amount of sweet.

How to make raspberry puff pastry twists

Start the pastry first. Then, during the process of rolling, folding, and chilling the dough, make the raspberry jam.

Making the rough puff pastry

Start by whisking together the dry ingredients. Then, quickly grate the butter into this mixture using the large holes of a box grater. Work fast so you don’t melt the butter with your warm hands!

Gently stir the butter into the flour mixture. You want to coat it in the flour, but don’t mix it in – you want to keep it in large pieces. It’s these chunks of butter that will create flakiness in the pastry during baking.

Next, drizzle  ice water over the mixture, mixing with a fork until the dough starts to come together into a shaggy mass. Pour the dough out onto a work surface and knead it lightly until it forms a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before taking the next step.

After the first chill, unwrap the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a long rectangle, about three times longer than it is wide. The size of the rectangle matters less than the thickness here. You want it to end up about 1/2 inch thick.

Now fold the dough into thirds: Start by folding the top third down toward the middle of the dough, then fold the bottom third up over the folded dough, like a letter. Give the dough a quarter turn, roll it out again into a long rectangle, and fold in thirds in the same fashion. Then wrap the dough in plastic again and chill for another 30 minutes.

Repeat this rolling and folding process two more times, chilling for about 30 minutes in between each session. After the final roll, chill the dough thoroughly before you roll it out and shape it into twists.

Making the raspberry jam

The jam is the easy part! Simply add raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt to a pot and cook over medium heat. Bring this mixture to a boil and lower heat to maintain a simmer, stirring frequently. Cook until berry juices are thick and coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.

Once they’re cooked, press berries through a fine sieve, pressing with a spatula to extract as much jam as possible, and discard the seeds. Allow to cool completely before using it.

Shaping the twists

When your pastry dough and raspberry jam are cool, it’s time to shape the twists. Roll the dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness. Then cut it in half.

Place the first piece of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread it with the raspberry jam, leaving a small border around all sides. Then, place the second sheet of pastry dough on top. Brush the top of the dough lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle it all over with demerara sugar, pressing lightly to adhere.

Before slicing the pastry, let it chill for at least 15 minutes. Use a sharp chef’s knife, pizza wheel, or pastry cutter to slice the pastry into thin strips. To form the twists, pinch both ends of the pastry with your fingers and twist several times, moving your hands in opposite directions. 

Place the pastry twists about an inch apart on a lined baking sheet and be sure to chill them again until they’re completely solid, about another 30 minutes. Once they’re thoroughly chilled, they’re ready to bake!

Puff pastry tips

The most important thing to keep in mind when making pastry is to keep things cold. If the butter gets too soft, it will blend more into the dough. This means a less tender, less flaky dough.

Start with very cold butter and don’t let it warm up too much throughout the process of mixing the dough, rolling, and shaping. At any point in this process, if it starts to feel too warm and soft, take a break and put it back in the refrigerator until it’s cold again.

Finishing the raspberry pastry twists

Once the twists are shaped and chilled, bake them in a hot oven (400° F) until golden brown. Allow them to cool before serving.

As a final touch, I like to dust the raspberry pastry twists with powdered sugar. This is totally optional, but it makes them look that much more enticing!