By Chef Andy Mueller
Owner, Galley 57
Without question, fall is my favorite time year: the cooler temps, the beautiful colors and pigskins in flight inside stadiums across the country. Don’t get me wrong, I love the summer months, but sometimes the humidity is so high I feel like I’m walking around in a cup of chowder.
Fall also brings with it a renewed need to cook delicious food. We can turn our ovens back on, make apple pies, comforting soups and stews that we missed for months, and I don’t have to starve myself just to fit into my singlet at the beach (it’s what wrestlers wear, and I’m not at all being serious, and I apologize for that image).
There are times, however, that I’m looking for something comforting yet quick, tasty but easy and can be transported to all the gatherings we’re going to have as the holiday season approaches.
One such dish came about by accident. I was going to share a recipe for a puff pastry appetizer that features small puff pastry squares filled with brie and your favorite fall pie filling (think apple, pumpkin, pears, figs, cranberries) but as I was out shopping the ingredients, just like many grocery items, they were out of puff pastry sheets, so I had to call an audible and changed it up a bit.
You may be wondering why I wouldn’t just make puff pastry from scratch. If you’ve ever made puff pastry from scratch, you know the answer. If you never made it from scratch, do so, and you’ll know the reason why I don’t make puff pastry from scratch.
There was one package of puff pastry bites, pre-formed small cups, so I grabbed it, and this recipe was born. They’re very easy to make, and the recipe calls for only few ingredients. You can mix it up each time you make it by using different pie fillings according to the season and everyone loves these at a party.
Give it a try this season and watch them disappear!
Puff Pastry Bites
Each store bought puff pastry bites box contains six puff pastry bites, so plan accordingly, depending on how many people you’re making them for.
Have ready:
- Frozen puff pastry bites
- 1 wheel of brie or camembert cheese, cut into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces, leave the rind on.
- 1 teaspoon of pie filling for each puff pastry bite
- 1/2 teaspoon salted walnuts or pecans
Bake off the puff pastry bites according to the package instructions, but remove them from the oven five minutes before they are done. Let them cool for five minutes so you can handle them. Remove the tops, place pie filling in the center, top the filling with a cube of brie, top with a sprinkle of nuts, leave the tops off and return to oven to finish baking – another five to seven minutes or until cheese starts to melt and bubble a bit. Let cool, if you have the willpower, place tops back on puff pastry bites and serve.