Peaches and Cream Puff Pastry

Peaches and Cream Puff Pastry
3" puff pastry circles, unbaked (recipe follows)
Granulated sugar for rolling
Pastry cream (recipe follows)
Halved apricots or peaches
Apricot glaze

1. Preheat the oven to 350F at least 20 minutes before you plan to bake.
2. Dust the counter with granulated sugar and roll the dough to 3/8" thick directly on the sugar. Do not roll all the way to the ends of the now-oblong shape - you want some of the dough to puff up extra high.
3. Place the dough sugared-side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Spoon a generous tablespoon of cold pastry cream onto the middle of the raw dough and place the apricot/peach halves on top of the pastry cream.
5. Bake the pastry for 12 - 18 minutes, or until the entire pastry is puffed up on the edge.
6. Glaze the pastry and the fruit with apricot glaze and serve immediately.

Puff Pastry
2 1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 T salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter

Note: If at anytime the ingredients get warm or too soft, place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up.

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flours, salt, and ice water and pulse until a ball forms. You do not need to be extra delicate with this dough.
2. Set the dough aside, covered, until you have prepared the butter.
3. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter and unwrap the 4 sticks of butter.
4. Cover the butter with another piece of plastic wrap and using a rolling pin, pound the cold butter until it is uniformly flattened, about 1/2" thick. If it has begun to soften, return to the refrigerator to firm up.
5. Dust the counter with flour and roll the dough until it is large enough to encase the butter layer, and has flaps to close up tight.
6. Place the butter in the center of the dough and pull the dough over the edges to completely enclose the butter.
7. Roll the dough out into a rectangle.
8. Fold the dough into thirds (like en envelope). This is your first turn of the dough.
9. Again, roll the dough into a rectangle and fold into an envelope once more. This is your second turn of the dough.
10. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before continuing. 
11. Roll the dough into another rectangle and this time fold into fourths (once in on each end, then once in the middle to form 4 layers). This is your third turn.
12. Repeat the previous step once more to complete 4 turns and refrigerate the dough until you're ready to use it.
    Note: Some recipes have you make 6 turns - which will just increase the number of layers. 4 minimum for puff pastry should be plenty for this recipe. 

To use the puff dough, cut the dough into usable portions and roll to the required height.

Pastry Cream
2 c milk
1/2 c sugar
Pinch salt
Vanilla bean, scraped
4 egg yolks
1/3 c cornstarch

1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Stir and remove from the heat.
3. Chill until you're ready to use.