All Puffed Up

FoodBuzz has once again sent me some food love. As part of their Tastemaker program every now and then I find treasures in my mail box. This time I was given a coupon for Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. I will say that it was for free puff pastry, but I assure you this post isn't because someone buttered me up with free food. Puff pastry is so fun to use, and makes everything delicious.



Just look how flaky and yummy that is. Pepperidge Farm is holding hosting a puff pastry recipe contest. If you have any great recipe ideas you could give it whirl. The prize is a trip to New York. Imagine all the wonderful eating awaiting for you.

Since each package of puff pastry sheets come with 2 sheets I decided to try out 2 different ideas. One a dessert and another appetizer. The holiday season usually brings an over abundance of sugar so I wanted to tone down the sweetness of my dessert. I wanted to almost blur the lines of dessert and side dish. Apple tarts were my staring point, and I just mixed in some apple favorites.



Rosemary always reminds me of winter and it pairs so nicely with apple. I also wanted to create another flavor in my crust so I added some sharp cheddar to the crust.



Rosemary Cheddar Apple Tart
1 sheet puff pastry
3 baking apples peeled and cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 pinch salt
1 egg beaten

Roll out the puff pastry so it's about 1/8 inch thick, or about 16 inches on the long side. Cut down the middle so it looks like this:


Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on the bottom piece. Brush the edges of the bottom cheese with beaten egg and place the other piece directly on top. Press firmly over the top and around the edges to seal the pastry. I used the rolling pin with gentle pressure rolling over the pastry once to mash it all down. Place pastry on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375º. In a large bowl mix remaining ingredients until the apples are all coated. Pour the apples into the center of the pastry. Leave 1-2 inches around the sides of the pastry. Fold the edges over the top of the apples. Brush the flipped up edges of the pastry with the beaten egg. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. If the edges are browning too quickly tent with foil.

Since it is dessert no one will object to a little ice cream right?



Next up are some very quick appetizers. Again I was looking for something a bit sweet, and a salty. This is a great pantry recipe. If you have some puff pastry in your freezer, you could use some form of these ingredients to make a great appetizer.



I love caramelized onions so I added them to these, however if you are in a big hurry you could definitely omit the onions for an even easier treat.



Figgy Blue Cheese Bites
1 puff pastry sheet
1 onion sliced thin
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoons fig spread
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (any blue cheese works great)
1 egg beaten

Heat butter in small pan over low heat. Add onions and stir into butter. Lightly salt and pepper onions. Add the thyme sprigs to the pan. Let the onions cook gently and slowly over low heat. Stir every few minutes until the onions are golden and almost sticky. This takes a while but could be done in advance. Preheat oven to 425º. When the onions are cooked remove the thyme sprigs and remove from heat. Add the fig spread. Cut the pastry into 9 squares making 2 cuts in each direction. Place 1 Tablespoon of onion mixture onto the bottom corner of the square. Place one piece of blue cheese on top the onion. Brush the edges of the square with egg and fold over the top. Pinch the edges to seal. You could also add the filling the center of each square and bring the corners together and seal the edges creating a little purse. Place on baking sheet and brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown.



You could use this same idea for quick little dessert bites. Just place spoonfuls of your favorite jam into the center and bake. Dust with powdered sugar and everyone is happy.

Hopefully I didn't sound too much like a commercial, but for all those who can eat gluten this stuff is great. It makes so many things fancy.


**Side Note: To make the caramelized onion step even more fortunate, add in 2 extra onions and a little more butter. Save them to use later. I love making chicken salad and throw some caramelized onions on top when I make a sandwich. My favorite lunch ever - baked sweet potato split open with a little bit of butter, caramelized onion on top, bit o' shaved parmesan. Just a suggestion.