Sugar and Spice Twists with Orange and Walnut

Part dessert, part breakfast item, part anytime sweet treat, that’s what these are. I always have a package of frozen puff pastry in the freezer because you just never know when you’ll need it. These twists combine puff pastry with sugar, lots of warm spices like Chinese Five Spice and the zing of orange zest. Perfect with a cup of hot cocoa or with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with warm chocolate sauce or my five spice honey.

---

Makes 12 twists

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp five spice powder
½ tsp cardamom
½ tsp cinnamon
Zest of 1 orange
½ cup walnuts finely chopped
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, five spice, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Roll out each sheet to approximately 11” square. Sprinkle half the sugar mixture evenly on one sheet. Follow with walnuts and orange zest.

Take the second sheet and lay directly on top of the first sheet. Sprinkle remaining sugar mixture on top. Use rolling pin and roll out further (you’ll also be pressing the sugar into the pastry by doing this) in one direction to form a rectangle that’s approximately 11” x 13”.

Cut into ½ strips and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Hold both ends and twist 3-4 times to form a spiral. Pinch ends tightly to avoid unravelling while in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating sheet pan once, until deep golden brown.

Allow to cool on sheet pan.