The Ingredient That Makes Trader Joe's Frozen Puff Pastry One Of The Best

At its best, puff pastry is renowned for so many delicious qualities. At once airy and crisp, flaky and tender, it's no wonder there are few applications that aren't improved by this stuff, whether you're using it to create sweet almond glazed blueberry peach hand pies or to elevate savory pigs in a blanket.

That said, making puff pastry from scratch is a bit of an undertaking and for many home cooks, a store-bought package that's ready to go in minutes is a lifesaver. But not all of these easy options are created alike. Some brands, like the Pepperidge Farm version offered at Walmart and the Pillsbury Crescent Dough, which you can find at Target, don't even have a hint of butter in the ingredient list. Instead, they rely on shortening and hydrogenated oils to provide moisture. 

On the other hand, Trader Joe's Frozen Puff Pastry is made with all butter. Along with the rest of its strikingly simple ingredient label (composed of only five elements in total, by contrast to the laundry lists of other brands), that crucial element — which is essential for both function and flavor in puff pastry — makes this package easily distinctive from the rest.

There are a number of differences between shortening and butter when it comes to baking. While you technically can use shortening to create an effective, well-risen puff pastry — and some recipes for homemade puff pastry even combine the two fats — it won't bring much to the table in terms of flavor.

Additionally, when it comes to a nutritional profile, butter packs some natural goodness, like vitamins A, E, and D as well as calcium, and beta-carotene. Shortening, on the other hand, offers mostly calories and fat without the benefit of vitamins and minerals.

So why would a company opt for shortening if it's common knowledge that it won't be as tasty? Well, one reason could be that shortening is generally less expensive than real butter. And yet the price point for the Trader Joe's product still manages to beat out these similar examples with Pepperidge Farm coming in at $6.24 for 17.3 ounces and Pillsbury at $4.49 for a mere 8 ounces, while this all-butter option will set you back just $4.99 for 18.3 ounces — making it the best per-ounce value. So no matter whether you want to use this epicurean assist for your favorite appetizers or breakfasts, desserts or an impressive beef wellington, Trader Joe's has you covered on buttery quality.