Puff Pastry with Poppy Seed Filling – Czech Kohoutí hřebeny

Puff Pastry with Poppy Seed Filling – Czech Kohoutí hřebeny

Puff pastry is very popular in the Czech Republic, and I believe it is beloved elsewhere as well. It is easy to use and nearly foolproof. Today, I will show you how to make a Czech specialty called Kohoutí hřebeny (Rooster Combs), which are filled with a rich poppy seed filling.

Course Pastry

Cuisine Czech

Keyword poppy seed filling, sweet pastry

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings pieces

Calories 392kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

Poppy seed filling:

2 ½ cups poppy seed ground
1 cup milk
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup fruit jam
½ Tablespoon lemon zest freshly grated

For kohoutí hřebeny:

1 pound puff pastry refrigerated
1 small egg to seal the edges
1 Tablespoon flour to dust the worktop
1 Tablespoon powdered sugar to dust the baked puff pastry

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Make the poppy seed filling:

In a thick-bottomed pot, combine 2 ½ cups poppy seed ground and 1 cup milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from burning. Add ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup fruit jam, and ½ Tablespoon lemon zest.
Lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, until the poppy seeds are soft, stirring frequently. When finished, transfer the poppy seed filling to a bowl and set it aside to cool completely.
Before you start baking, preheat the oven to 400 °F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape the pastry:

Sprinkle the work surface with 1 Tablespoon flour. Cut 1 pound puff pastry into two equal pieces and roll each piece into a ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Divide each rectangle into six smaller, evenly sized rectangles. Trim the edges if they are uneven.
Using a plastic dough cutter, make cuts in the center of the pastry, spaced ⅔-inch apart. Leave a 1-inch border around the edges. Place the cooled poppy seed filling over the cuts.
Brush the edges with 1 small egg (slightly beaten) to prevent the poppy seed filling from oozing out during baking. Fold one side over the filling and press the edges together to seal.
Carefully transfer the Kohoutí hřebeny pastries onto a baking sheet. Lightly bend the pastries so that a bit of the poppy seed filling is visible.
Bake the pastries for 15 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Do not open the oven during the first 10 minutes of baking. Dust with 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

The basic pieces makes about 10-14 pieces.
When shaping Kohoutí hřebeny, some of the filling may seep out due to the bending of the pastry. Don’t worry; this is normal and expected.
An important note: always use poppy seed filling that has cooled to room temperature when making Kohoutí hřebeny.

Nutrition