This nun’s sighs recipe, also called pets de nonne, or alternately a rude name, is a sugary, flakey delight as easy to bake as it is delicious . The traditional French recipe is for a light choux puff, but in Canada it evolved as a way to use leftover pie pastry scraps. The dough is brushed with soft butter, sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon, and then rolled into spirals. The cinnamon-swirled spirals are then baked into crispy, flaky confections that are best eaten fresh and warm from the oven. Don't forget to add a cup of cafe creme to make it a true French afternoon treat.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe pastry dough or 1 package store-bought pie dough
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar (the darker the sugar, the more intense the flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Preheat an oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out the pastry dough into a 9-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the butter over the dough, and then evenly sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the butter. Starting at the 9-inch end, roll up the pastry dough into a tight spiral. Slice it crosswise into 8 pieces, each slightly wider than 1 inch.
Place the pastry spirals, cut side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry has turned light golden brown and the sugar is caramelized.
This pets de nonne recipe makes 8 dessert-sized servings.
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