Appetizers with Puff Pastry are everyone’s favorites. There are Never Leftovers! Furthermore, it’s a clever way to disguise vegetables! Puff Pastry is so versatile! It can be both savory or sweet! But the most noteworthy quality of Puff Pastry is that we don’t have to mix it, knead it, punch it or wait for it to rise! Yes, we do need to roll it out. But that hardly counts because it’s not like I need to roll and roll and roll……
So, I have some puff pastry leftover from a special project. I also have some roasted broccoli left from last night’s dinner. Since we were going to have a light lunch consisting of soup, I think I’m going to combine these leftovers! They will be a great accompaniment to our Chicken Tortellini Soup! Let’s make a few quick appetizers with Puff Pastry!
Ingredients:
4 oz. Cream Cheese
2 Teas. Dried Chives
2 Teas Dried Chopped Onions
1 Teas. Garlic Powder
1 Teas. Italian Seasoning
3 Strips of Bacon – Crumbled or ¼ C Bacon Pieces
1 Cup Chopped Broccoli (cooked – but not wet)
*if the broccoli is too wet, it makes the cheese mixture runny
¼ Cup Parmesan
1 Egg – Beaten with 1 Tbsp of water
Let’s Get the Party Started!
Soften the Cream cheese just a bit if it’s right out of the refrigerator. Most microwaves have the soften feature now. If you don’t have a microwave, just let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for about an hour. Then it will be easy to mix. Combine the Chives, Onions, Garlic, & Italian Seasonings with the Cream Cheese. Add in the Bacon, Broccoli & Parmesan.
Now is a good time to pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Now, let’s get our puff pastry ready. It’s best to have a small amount of flour on your working surface. Even if you use a silicon mat, the pastry can still get sticky. Once your surface is ready, roll out your puff pastry. I like to work with a 12-inch square. We are going for 16 squares. So, I like to cut straight down the middle, then cut the ½’s in half again. It’s probably just me! But that makes it easier for me to come up with 16 uniform 3-inch squares.
Finally, it’s time to grab a tablespoon and put an overloaded tablespoon of mixture in the very middle of your squares! Don’t Close them up yet! Now lightly brush your egg wash over the visible puff pastry. Then take the opposite corners and bring them together. Lightly pinch & twist them together. There should be some visible mixture in between the closed corners. Again, lightly coat with egg wash. Another thing that I like to do, sprinkles a light coating of Parmesan before baking. That is completely optional, of course! But why wouldn’t you want Parmesan sprinkled on top?!
Let’s Bake those Appetizers with Puff Pastry
You can choose to put your appetizers straight on an un-greased baking sheet. I prefer parchment paper on my baking sheets. But whatever works for you! Bake for 12 -14 minutes. Since every oven is a little bit different, yours might need less or more time. But your Appetizers should be golden brown.
These are definitely best when eaten warm. But I must warn you, the filling is hotter than the outside of the puff pastry. I would recommend letting them sit for 5 minutes. Please bite into these wonderful concoctions Carefully!
Variations on Appetizers with Puff Pastry:
Another Family Favorite is my Strawberry Purses. I make them the EXACT same way. Except, obviously without the savory spices! Ok, maybe a few more steps are different. First of all, I use @ 1 pound of fresh strawberries. Once they are washed, I dice them into @1/4-inch pieces. The 4 oz. of Cream Cheese is mixed with 1-2 tbsp. of sugar. Some people like it extra sweet. I find strawberries to be sweet enough on their own. But when you add the cream cheese, it does UP the sour factor. So, whichever your taste bubs command, go ahead…..
So, take the 4 oz of softened cream cheese and add 1-2 tbsp of sugar. Prepare your dough the exact way we did for the Broccoli Puffs.
Put 1 teaspoon of cream cheese (with sugar) & 1 tbsp of strawberries in the middle of each square. (Just like the picture above.) Don’t forget your light brush of egg wash! After your egg wash, close your corners up & brush again. Because this a sweet snack, I like to dust some sugar over the puff before baking. Consequently, they should also come out golden brown. If your oven is comparable to mine, you should bake for 12-14 min. at 425 degrees.
Even MORE options for Appetizers with Puff Pastry….
Another variation we Adore is those same diced Strawberries But with a teaspoon of Nutella!! The Nutella would replace the Cream Cheese. I’ve also been known to do a slice of banana & teaspoon of Nutella because not all family members like strawberries! (They are weird! I know!) There are so many ways you can personalize these appetizers with puff pastries. Peaches & Cream sounds good! Apples & Cinnamon might work. Raspberries & Cream sounds Divine! Or, maybe even better, Raspberries & Chocolate!! One special note: You can use Pie filling if you don’t want to deal with Fresh fruit….. BTW, a Free Glass of Sparkling Wine is Purr’Fect for these desserts!
(This page will cover all the details You need for Your Free Wine!)
We also Love to make a mini quiche or mini pizzas! I supposed they would really be mini calzones since the pastry is closed ……
#PuffPastryAppetizers
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