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For this easy appetizer recipe, we made our own little two-bite pastry shells from sheets of store-bought, frozen puff pastry and filled them with a simple combination of sautéed shallots, mushrooms, and crumbled goat cheese.
Make-Ahead Instructions
For stress-free entertaining, this appetizer can be made in advance. Prepare and bake the pastry bites as directed in the recipe and allow them to cool completely. Wrap them in foil in a single layer (don’t stack them) and refrigerate for up to two days.
To reheat, preheat the oven to 375°F, open up the foil completely, and bake until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.
Tips for Working with Puff Pastry
These pastry “cups” are made by cutting rounds from the sheet of dough, arranging them on a baking sheet, and then taking a slightly smaller cutter and making an indentation 1/4-inch in from the outer edge. As the pastry bakes, the dough will rise around this indentation and create a little wall that will contain the mushroom filling.
How to Use the Leftover Dough
Any time you cut rounds from a sheet of puff pastry you’re left with some scraps that are too good to throw away. To make use of this leftover dough, cut it into similarly sized pieces (they don’t have to be uniform) and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush each with a little egg wash, and sprinkle them lightly with any one of the following:
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Garlic salt and a little pepper
- Cinnamon-sugar
Bake at 400°F until puffed and golden.
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pastry Bites
Ingredients
- 1 package, 2 sheets frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
- 12 ounces cremini, or white button mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Fresh thyme leaves for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Season the mushrooms to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the mushrooms cool, preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Carefully unfold a sheet of puff pastry and roll to an 8-1/2 x 11-inch rectangle.
- Using a 2-1/2-inch round cutter, cut the pastry into 12 rounds (save your scraps – see notes) and transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat the process with the remaining sheet of dough.
- Using a 2-inch round cutter, make a centered indentation in each of the pastry rounds. Press the cutter into the dough as far as possible without actually cutting through it. The 1/4-inch rim this creates will puff up around the filling during baking.
- Beat the egg together with the water in a small bowl. Add the goat cheese to the cooled mushroom mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Brush the egg wash over each pastry round and place a small mound of the mushroom-cheese mixture (about 2 teaspoons) in the center of each.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. If desired, sprinkle with a few fresh thyme leaves before serving.
Notes
Make-Ahead Instructions:
Prepare and bake the pastry bites as directed in the recipe and allow them to cool completely. Wrap them in foil in a single layer (don’t stack them) and refrigerate for up to two days. To reheat, preheat the oven to 375°F, open up the foil completely, and bake until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could you freeze before baking?
Hi Erika,
I can’t speak from personal experience on freezing these pastry bites before baking, but I can offer a little general advice. Because even sautéed mushrooms can give off a little liquid when defrosted, I would make the filling ahead and freeze it separately. You can prepare your pastry cutouts, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer them to freezer bags. To reassemble, thaw the pastry in the refrigerator and keep cold until ready to bake, top with defrosted filling and bake as directed in the recipe. Hope this helps.
What can I replace egg and mushroom with ????????
Hi Varsha,
The egg and water (egg wash) is used to give the puff pastry a golden sheen. You can substitute a little milk or cream for this if you like.
The first thing that comes to mind on replacing the mushrooms is a combination of caramelized onions and bacon. Other possibilities include crumbled sausage, finely chopped chicken or a combination of spinach and bacon. I can’t help with quantities though without testing these options myself.
Hope this helps.