These lovely puff pastry wedges with savory cheese, herb and olive filling will melt in your mouth. Make them on the small side to offer as a starter or with a spread of appetizer or party food, or shape them larger to serve as a main course for a brunch or luncheon.
Puff pastry (pate feuilletee) can be found in the freezer or refrigerator section of grocery stores, but I prefer to make my own dough using this Puff Pastry Recipe.
For the filling I used homemade ricotta, but Farmer's cheese, fromage blanc or another fresh cheese will work just as well. The day I took the photo, I mixed in some optional cured meat for added flavor.
Inspired by a recipe by Noufissa El Kouch. The pastries may be assembled in advance and stored in the freezer for later baking.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 16 to 20 savory pastries
Ingredients:
- 500 g (approx. 18 oz.) puff pastry dough, chilled
- ----- For the Filling -----
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons creme fraiche
- 1 cup ricotta (or other fresh cheese)
- 1 cup grated Edam or mozarella cheese
- 75 g (2.5 oz) cured or cooked meat, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 large roasted red pepper, skinned and chopped
- 5 or 6 pitted black olives, finely chopped
- 5 or 6 pitted green olives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh za'atar or oregano, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400° F (200° C). Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with the cream and set aside. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients for the filling. Stir in a little more than half of the egg and cream mixture. (Reserve the rest to use as an egg wash.)
On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry dough into a very thin square or rectangle. With a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into 16 to 20 squares. Divide the filling into an equal number of portions, spooning each portion onto the middle of a square of dough.
Dab a little egg wash on the edges of one square of dough. Fold the dough over the filling to make either a triangular or rectangular pastry, and press the edges together. Further seal the pastries by pressing around the edges with the tines of a fork. Transfer the pastry to the baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining squares of dough.
(At this point, the pastries may be covered with plastic and placed in the freezer. Once frozen, they can be transferred to a plastic freezer bag or box. Thaw for 30 minutes at room temperature before baking.)
Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg wash and prick each pastry once or twice with a fork to create steam vents. Bake the pastries for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack for at least several minutes before serving.
