SPAGHETTI SQUASH WAFFLES
When I was a young cook in New York City, I worked at a restaurant called Eldorado Petit, the American branch of a famous restaurant in Spain. I got to meet some amazing young chefs from Spain, including one guy that would make this very traditional preserve that we call cabello de angel, which means “angel hair”—it’s a very simple technique, but when you’re done, the strings of squash really look like golden hair. He would layer it on puff pastry with pine nuts to make the traditional Catalan dessert called bisbalenc. The pastry was so light it made me think of flying—like the angels. This version, made crispy in the waffle iron, brings back good memories of my early years in New York and how special the world of food is—you can learn the cuisine of anywhere in the world, no matter where you are.
SERVES 4
One 14-ounce package Dufour frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed but still cold
About ¾ cup Spaghetti Squash Preserves
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Preheat a waffle maker.
Meanwhile, unfold the puff pastry and cut it into quarters. One at a time, roll out each quarter on a floured surface until it is 1/16 to ⅛ inch thick, then spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the preserves over one half of the dough, leaving a ¼-inch border on all three sides. Moisten the border with a little water, fold over the other half of the dough, and use the tines of a fork to press the edges of the pastry together to seal.
Set 1 or 2 filled pastries (depending on the size of your machine) in the preheated waffle maker, close it, and cook until the waffles are golden brown and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes (the timing may vary, depending on your waffle maker). Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining waffles. Let cool slightly— the squash preserves will get very hot!
Sift confectioners’ sugar over the waffles and serve warm.