Preparing the Pastry Sheets

Begin by rolling your puff pastry sheets to slightly larger than a 12″ square. Place a 12″ plate on the pastry and use a wheeled cutter to cut around it. I used a pizza cutter, so it doesn’t need to be anything fancy!

If you wish to use a smaller plate, you absolutely can. Just roll the pastry to the appropriate size.

Spread a thin layer of butter over both pieces of puff pastry. It doesn’t need to be much, but a little bit helps the cinnamon sugar stick.

Layering the Puff Pastry and Cinnamon Sugar

Mix together 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 1/2-3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon. You can add more or less, depending on how spiced you like it. I personally prefer it on the spicy side, but if you want it milder reduce the cinnamon to one tablespoon.

Sprinkle a generous amount over the buttered side of one pastry circle. Place the other round of pastry dough over the other, with the buttered side down. Line them up as closely as you can.

A Note on Cinnamon Sugar

You can make your cinnamon sugar spicier or sweeter by changing the amount of cinnamon added.

Shaping the Pastry

Place a small bowl over the center of the layered pastry dough, and use a sharp knife to cut it into quarters. Then, cut each of those quarters into 4 sections. You should end up with sixteen sections.

Beat an egg well and brush it over the top of the cut pastry. This helps create the golden brown finish and also acts as a glue to hold the twists in place as they bake.

Working in pairs, twist each section of the dough three times in opposite directions. Fold the ends over and press down firmly to seal them. If your puff pastry is warm, pop it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before baking. This helps solidify the butter again and gives you a better puff.

Baking the Puff Pastry Star

Bake the pastry at 425° for 20-25 minutes, or until it’s a deep golden brown.

Remove the pastry from the oven and allow it to cool before frosting and serving.

Making the Frosting and Serving the Puff Pastry Cinnamon Sugar Star

To make the frosting, melt the butter and allow it to cool. Mix in the sifted powdered sugar, then add a teaspoon of vanilla. Stir in the whole milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough that it won’t soak into the pastry.

To decorate the top of the puff pastry star, get some frosting on a spoon. As it slowly drips off, move it across the pastry, causing it to fall in lines. Just play with it and continue until you’re happy with the way it looks!

Serve the puff pastry star with extra frosting for dipping. Each section can simply be pulled off by hand for eating.