Mediterranean Puffs

Makes 30

Mediterranean Puffs When time is short, this is a recipe where you can buy all the basics ready to do a quick assembly-line job. Good puff pastry, pesto, and tapenade are all readily available from supermarkets these days to make our lives easier in the kitchen.

14 oz puff pastry
Flour for dusting
Butter for greasing
1 small egg yolk
1 tsp water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
Chunky Pesto recipe, or 1/3 cup ready-made pesto
Chunky Tapenade recipe, or 1/3 cup ready-made tapenade
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
You will also need a 2-inch fluted cutter

Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface into a 12 x 14-1/2 inch rectangle.

Cut out 30 pastry rounds using the cutter. Place them onto lightly greased baking sheets, leaving space between each to allow them to rise. Do not reroll the scraps as they will not rise evenly.

Mix the egg yolk, water, and salt together in a small bowl, then brush the tops of the pastries with this glaze. Do not let the glaze run over the sides of the pastries, as this will keep them from rising.

Sprinkle the pastries with the poppy and mustard seeds and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the pastries for 10-15 minutes or until they are well risen and a rich golden color. Cool on a wire rack.

Put the pesto, tapenade, and sun-dried tomatoes into 3 separate bowls, divide the Parmesan and Cheddar between them, and then separately pulse each batch in a blender until you have a thickish paste.

Split the cooked pastries in half. Spoon each of the fillings into 10 of the pastries and cover with the tops.

Place on baking sheets and reheat the pastries at 375 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until hot. Serve.

Advance preparation:
Cut out the pastries, cover, and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead. On the day, glaze, bake, and fill up to 6 hours before. Reheat to order.

Freezing:
Freeze either uncooked and unfilled up to 4 weeks before, or cooked and unfilled up to 3 weeks before.

Party Food:
The Essential Guide to Menus, Drinks, and Planning
By Lorna Wing
Photography by Jan Baldwin
Soma Books
Cloth, $30.00
160 pages, full color photographs throughout
ISBN: 1-57959-040-3
Recipe Reprinted by permission.