For Christmas dinner, I made some easy appetizers. They turned out delicious, even if some improvement is needed. I made two types of cheese bites, one with brie and one with goat cheese.
Ingredients:
1 pack of puff pastry sheets (2)
goat cheese
brie
fig jam
honey
pecans
1 egg yolk
water
Lesson learned:
Puff pastries PUFF, a lot... I forgot about this tip I use for tarts, where you prick the whole dough with a fork to prevent high rising. Definitely something to try next time.
It is very hard to find the correct amount of filling. You can't put too much, otherwise you won't be able to close the turnovers. But too little and the puff pastry overwhelms.
I put both batches (18 turnovers total) at the same time and after 20 minutes, they were still a bit pale. I did not have the option to keep them any longer, but will definitely bake them separately next time.
Preparation:
Follow directions to let the pastry sheet thaw.
Using a round cookie-cutter, cut as many circles as you can. I used a 3" round cookie cutter and ended up with 9 circles on each sheet.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
On half of the circles, place a bit of goat cheese and fig jam in the center of the circle. For the other half, place some brie with honey and pecan bits. Be careful not to put too much as you need to fold them in half.
Brush some water all around the circles, fold them in half and press the edges to seal.
Place them on the prepared baking sheets (I line the baking sheets with parchment paper).
Brush the mini turnovers with the beaten egg yolk. Poke a hole in the pastry to allow for steam to escape.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until your pastries are golden.
Popularity result: They were a HUGE SUCCESS!!!! Especially with my teen! Definitely a must keep!
I have been following the French TV show “Le meilleur pâtissier” and a couple weeks ago, the theme was “puff pastry”. Inspired by it and in need of a quick dinner idea, I put together these vol-au-vent. I had some puff pastry sheets in my freezer, some chicken breasts, mushrooms and heavy cream and there you go. Friends have mentioned my recipe was not the traditional recipe of “vol-au-vent” such as any Belgian will understand it, but I made it with my favorite ingredients and what I had on hand.
Ingredients:
1 pkg of puff pastry sheets (2 sheets per package)
chicken breast
mushrooms (fresh or canned)
1 medium onion
butter
heavy cream
Tools:
Cookie cutters (3” round and 2” round – you can use a bit bigger too, but you need two different sizes)
Preparation:
Spread the two sheets of puff pastry.
On the first one, using the larger cookie cutter, cut as many circles as you can (I cut 9 with a 3” cutter). Repeat on the second sheet.
Then, using the smaller cutter, cut the center off the second set of circles.
Pick up the rings and using water, seal them on the circles from the first sheet.
Then put the smaller circle back into the ring (no water to seal).
Bake at 350º until puffed and golden-brown (about 10 minutes). Let them cool.
Dice the chicken, onion and mushrooms in ½ inch cubes.
Brown the chicken in a pan, set aside.
Sauté the onion and mushrooms.
Put all three ingredients back in the pan and add heavy cream.
On low heat, reduce the cream to have a thick sauce.
Fill each puff form with the mixture. You can also let the mixture “overflow” on the plate.
Invite a few friends over who don't mind being guinea pigs and try out new recipes... kind of... A mix of tried and true and new is always safest and having a contingency plan, a must (for me, at least, as one of my friend was teasing me about last night).
Main Course: Stuffed faluche
I found this recipe/idea online. When I was researching recipes for the faluche a few weeks ago, I came across a video from my hometown's TV where this preparation was explained and it sounded soooooo good, I just needed an excuse.
This recipe can be prepared as an appetizer or a main course, just change the size of the bread.
Ingredients:
Individual faluches (see previous post) - a bit thicker than normal to be used as dish.
Butter
Smoked salmon
Salmon (fresh or canned) - I used fresh
Extra-small shrimp or salad shrimp
Mixed greens
Tomatoes or asparagus
Head of lettuce
Mayonnaise
Salt, pepper, herbs
Vinaigrette
Preparation:
Poach the salmon (5-7 minutes in boiling water). Then take it apart with your fingers. Delicately mix it with mayonnaise, salt, pepper and your favorite herbs. Do not crush the salmon.
Take your faluches and cut from the top to make some kind of trough. Remove the bread inside and either set aside for different use (making bread crumbs, pudding...) or discard.
Butter your bread trough and line with smoked salmon.
In a separate bowl, mix your greens with your vinaigrette. I used store-bought raspberry vinaigrette but you can make your own. Try and use perfumed vinegars and different oils.
Put some of the greens on top of the salmon.
On the bed of greens, put some of your salmon salad.
Decorate the whole thing with pieces of rolled smoked salmon, tomatoes or asparagus, and shrimps.
Place on a plate covered with leaves of lettuce. Place more of the tomatoes or asparagus around your faluche for decoration.
The food itself is fresh and very summery. The size of the faluche dictates how hungry you have to be. All in all, I am really happy with the way it came out and this is definitely going on the must-have list. And when you think about it, many variations are possible, both sweet and savory.
My name is Anne-Sophie and I've always enjoyed baking. I've decided to try and spend more time trying new recipes and would like to share the journey. I am particularly (but not exclusively) interested in French/Belgian recipes.