Minature Camembert Walnut Paatries

By recepti

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.