Ingredients
- For Pastry:
- Makes 40 hors d’oeuvres (serves 8)
- Active time: 30 min
- Total time: 50 min
- INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup walnuts (1 ounce), minced
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-ounce package), thawed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- For Cheese Filling:
- 6 ounces Camembert (not runny), rind discarded
- 1/3 cup walnuts (1 1/4 ounces), finely chopped, toasted, and cooled
- EQUIPMENT
- a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter; parchment paper
Preparation
Step 1
FROM THE 1/2003 ISSUE
Miniature Camembert Walnut Pastries
RECIPE BY ALEXIS TOUCHET
Photo: Miki Duisterhof
A combination of Camembert and walnuts might sound heavy, but these tiny pastries are surprisingly light—and a bit of freshly ground pepper on top gives them just the right edge.
Makes 40 hors d’oeuvres (serves 8)
Active time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
INGREDIENTS
For Pastry:
1/4 cup walnuts (1 ounce), minced
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-ounce package), thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
For Cheese Filling:
6 ounces Camembert (not runny), rind discarded
1/3 cup walnuts (1 1/4 ounces), finely chopped, toasted, and cooled
EQUIPMENT
a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter; parchment paper
INSTRUCTIONS
Make Pastry:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Stir together walnuts, butter, and salt.
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14- by 12-inch rectangle. Cut out 40 rounds with lightly floured cookie cutter and discard trimmings.
Brush tops of rounds with egg wash, then sprinkle each with about 1/4 teaspoon walnut mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Bake rounds in middle of oven until golden and puffed, 10 to 15 minutes, then slide pastries on parchment onto a rack to cool. (Leave oven on.)
While pastries are still warm, gently pull each one apart to make a top and a bottom. Lightly press down any puffed inner layers on tops and bottoms if necessary.
Make Filling While Pastry Bakes:
Mash together cheese and toasted walnuts with a fork.
Fill Pastries:
Sandwich a 1/2-teaspoon mound of cheese filling inside each pastry (between top and bottom), then bake in middle of oven on parchment-lined baking sheet (it’s not necessary to use a clean sheet of parchment) until cheese begins to melt, 2 to 3 minutes.
Season tops of pastries with pepper and serve immediately.
COOKS’ NOTES
Puff pastry can be baked and rounds separated into tops and bottoms 1 day ahead, then cooled completely and kept at room temperature in an airtight container.
Pastries can be filled (but not baked) 1 hour ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.