I love working with Puff pastry for appetizers and desserts. Why? because, the dough is flaky, soft and buttery which most people equate to decadent. The best part is how easy the dough is to work with...I do buy store bought as layering slabs of butter between dough I feel needs to be left up to Commercial bakers...not me! I watched a chef make puff pastry once, it was an hour long show that was time lapsed (enough said?) Even that chef admitted that buying it frozen from the store is a far better and less time consuming endeavor. I trust his word! I buy frozen Puff Pastry and just grab it from Freezer when I know I want to be baking with it. The instructions are to thaw 40 mins at room temperature - you do want the dough softened but, still cold. I lay out parchment paper and open up my dough sheets to let defrost...(you usually get two sheets per box) I then use a rolling pin to stretch the dough a bit (it the dough starts sticking to your pin, its getting too warm (pop in fridge for 5 mins) <---or flour your rolling pin if need be. I hope you enjoy this little appetizer (I fully admit, this recipe is ON THE BOX!) Some of the best recipes usually are somewhere on the products box or packaging - I figure if they took the time to place it on there - it must be decent! ~Enjoy! Diane
Spinach & Cheese Puffs Ingredients: 1 egg 1 tbsp. water 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese garlic powder 1/2 pkg. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed 1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained, lightly salt. Directions: Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. Unfold the pastry sheet onto a piece of parchment paper, lightly roll out dough a bit longer and wider then place dough on parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Brush the pastry sheet all over the top surface with the egg/water mixture. Sprinkle garlic powder lightly over entire egged, surface. Top with the cheese and lightly salted spinach. Starting at a short side, roll up like a jelly roll. Cut into about 10 (1 inch) slices. Place the slices, around your backing sheet cut-side down. Brush the slices with the egg/water mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. The wider you cut your slices, the longer they take to bake (if cutting 1/2 inch slices, cook time is approx 15-20 mins) For best results, make sure to remove as much liquid as you can from the spinach before adding it to the pastry. If it's too wet, it may make the pastry soggy. Recipe Adapted from: Pepperidge Farms Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home
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Now now now - I know you've read the Title of the recipe and say to yourself "the best?" Well, heck ya! This sauce is so good you can sit down with a spoon and eat it all by itself (dare you not to!) What makes mine different? I think I am one of the few that adds a dash of nutmeg to all things Swiss or Gruyere because it really deepens the flavor and brings out the nuttiness in the cheeses. Without further ado - here is my 'schauce', its da boss!! and WHY am I sharing this now? Because you will need this sauce for my next recipe - Chicken & Spinach Swiss Crepes. ~Enjoy! Diane
My Swiss Cheese Sauce Ingredients: 3 Tbs Butter 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic 3 Tbs Flour 3 Cups Half and Half Cream 2 Cups Grated Swiss Cheese 1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce 2-3 Tbs Hot Sauce (I use Louisiana Hot Sauce) 1 tsp Kosher Salt 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg Directions: In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add in garlic and flour and whisk until the butter and flour roux become fragrant (it will brown and smell nutty.) Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly add in the half and half. Keep whisking until completely mixed in and starts to thicken. Add in the grated Swiss cheese until all melted. Stir in all your remaining spices and let cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Check seasonings and add any more hot sauce, salt, pepper, or nutmeg as preferred. Makes approx 5 cups of sauce. Recipe and photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home |