Puff pastry "colombine"

Puff pastry “colombine” are dove-shaped Easter sweets that are very simple to prepare. I’ll show you a basic version that you can enrich according to your taste.

Ingredients

• 1 roll of rectangular puff pastry
• Powdered sugar as needed
• Chocolate chips or candied fruit (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C if fan-assisted).
2. Unroll the puff pastry and, using a dove-shaped stencil or drawing freehand with a sharp knife, cut out the shape of the doves. For each dove, you will need two puff pastry shapes, which will form the base and the topping.
3. If you want to add a filling, sprinkle the base with chocolate chips or candied fruit, leaving a free edge of about 1 cm.
4. Cover with the other puff pastry shape, sealing the edges with the tines of a fork.
5. Make a small incision on the surface to form the wings and tail, without completely cutting through the pastry, to create a feathered effect.
6. Brush the surface with a bit of milk or a beaten egg yolk for shine.
7. Bake the “colombine” for about 15-20 minutes or until golden.
8. Once ready and cooled, dust with powdered sugar before serving.

You can customize the puff pastry “colombine” as you like, perhaps using hazelnut cream instead of chocolate chips for a more indulgent effect, or adding candied citrus peel for a touch of freshness.

Remember that you can also decorate the “colombine” with royal icing or powdered sugar mixed with a few drops of lemon to create a more elaborate design.