[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

It's common knowledge that Dufour Pastry makes one of the best commercially available frozen puff pastry dough in the market. They use only butter (many companies don't), and their pastry bakes up tall, golden and supremely flaky, unexpectedly light. Sure, it's more expensive than most brands, but it's worth even penny.

Frozen puff pastry saves quite a bit of work, but if you're seriously lazy short on time, consider Dufour's pre-assembled hors d'oeuvres. They come in both sweet and savory, with many hovering in between. Think tiny puff pastry moons stuffed with cranberry-studded Stilton cheese or the seasonally appropriate pecan and squash puffs, crunchy with water chestnuts and scented with sweet orange zest.

I also like the phyllo dough options, especially the blueberries with goat cheese and herbs, and the boozy brandy-laced figs with both goat and mascarpone cheese. Everything is pre-assembled—all you have to do is turn on the oven and bake. Literally, effortless entertaining (or snacking)!

Dufour Pastry

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.