Preparation / Directions:
Place the puff pastry dough on a floured surface. Lightly flour the surface of the dough and roll it out into a 12-inch square. Paint the square with the beaten egg.
Combine the sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Spread the mixture evenly over 1/2 of the dough in a 6-by-12-inch rectangle. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling to cover it. Slide onto a pan and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out again into a 12-inch square. Use a cutting wheel or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 24 1/2-inch-wide strips. Twist the top of each strip one way and the bottom the other to make a corkscrew shape. Place across the width (10-inch side) of the prepared pan and press the ends of each twist against the top edges of the pan so they stick. This keeps the straws from unraveling while they are baking.
Bake the twists for about 20 minutes, until well puffed and well caramelized. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes. While the twists are still flexible and before they cool completely, trim off the ends with a sharp knife. If you wish, cut each twist in half to make two 4-inch cookies.
Serve the straws with a creamy dessert or as a tea pastry.
To store, keep the straws between sheets of wax paper in a tin or other container with a tight-fitting cover.
(Makes about twenty-four 8-inch pastries)
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