Mushroom puff pastry is the easiest and most delicious holiday appetizer! These pastries are easy to prep ahead and everyone loves them.
This post is sponsored by Klarbrunn.
Mushroom Puff Pastry
If you’re looking for the perfect make ahead appetizer for the holidays, this is it. Cheesy, savory, and packed with holiday flavor – these little canapes won’t disappoint.
Whether you’re looking for an easy Thanksgiving appetizer or a crowd-pleasing Christmas appetizer, these bites are just amazing. The layers from the puff pastry make it look like you worked all day to make these – nobody needs to know how easy they are!
I’ve partnered up with Klarbrunn to bring you this easy appetizer recipe. I love serving it with ice cold Klarbrunn Lemon Sparkling Water. They’re so great together! You can find out where to buy Klarbrunn here.
How to Make Puff Pastry Appetizers
There are a couple of key parts to this recipe.
The first is caramelizing the onions correctly. That means that you’ll have to use either a cast iron or stainless steel skillet (nonstick won’t caramelize very well).
Second is letting the mushroom mixture cool to room temperature before putting it on the puff pastry (otherwise you’ll just thaw the pastry dough before it goes in the oven).
Third is making sure your puff pastry dough is cold. Seriously, this is SO important. If it’s not cold, it won’t puff up into those magical crispy layers.
Fourth is making sure you don’t drag the knife across the dough when you cut it. It needs to either be cut by pressing straight down with a knife or using a pizza cutter.
When you drag the knife, it can seal the edges which stops it from being able to puff up. If you’d prefer to cut the dough into triangles instead of squares, you can definitely do that!
Fifth is not opening the oven door for the first 10 minutes. The dough needs to go from cold to hot quickly in order to puff up. If you open the oven door too soon you may end up with flat mini pastry bites.
Which Cheese to Use
I’ve tried this recipe with Manchego and Gruyere, and both were amazing.
If you’re feeling extra fancy, you could also omit the shredded cheese and add a dollop of goat cheese or a small piece of brie to the top of each bite.
You could also use shredded mozzarella.
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
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Mushroom Puff Pastry
Mushroom puff pastry is the easiest and most delicious holiday appetizer! These pastries are easy to prep ahead and everyone loves them.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries (45 g)
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter (divided)
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms (sliced)
- 2 medium yellow onions (sliced)
- 2 medium cloves garlic (diced)
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 15 sage leaves (sliced)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup shredded manchego or gruyere (90 g)
- 1 package puff pastry (thawed, 1 pound)
- 1 egg (beaten)
Instructions
- Pour boiling water over the cranberries in a heat safe bowl, and set to the side to soak for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes drain the water.
- Heat a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of butter and swirl to coat the pan. Add the mushrooms and saute until cooked, or about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.
- Return the pan to the stove and turn the temperature to medium-low. Add the remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter, melt, and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir to mix. Saute for about 25 minutes, or until the onions are caramelized. Be sure to check the onions every 5 minutes or so and turn down the temperature if they start cooking too quickly.
- Turn the heat off and mix the drained cranberries and sauteed mushrooms into the onion mixture. Let this mixture come to room temperature before making the puff pastry bites.
- Once the mushroom mixture has reached room temperature, mix in the shredded cheese.
- Position one oven rack in the upper third of the oven and the other in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 F (204 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cut the thawed (but still cold) puff pastry into 2” squares. Place the squares on the baking sheets and use a pastry brush to brush the pastry dough with the egg wash. Top the center of each square with roughly 1 Tablespoon of filling.
- Bake for 20 - 22 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating the baking sheets after 10 minutes.
- Serve warm after cooling for a few minutes.
Notes
The puff pastry must be cold when it goes into the oven. If you notice that it’s starting to thaw or get soft, place it back in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm it up.
Don’t open the oven door until it’s been baking for 10 minutes. It’s important that the oven stay hot for the initial 10 minutes. It’s the transition from the cold puff pastry to the hot oven that causes the puff pastry to puff up.
If you use a knife to cut the puff pastry, be sure not to drag it across the pastry dough. That seals the edges which will stop it from puffing up correctly. Instead, either use a knife and press straight down or use a pizza cutter.
The easiest way to cut the sage leaves is with a chiffonade. Place all of the sage leaves on top of each other in a stack, roll the stack tightly, and then cut the stack into slices perpendicular to the roll.
The filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. You can either microwave it for 30 seconds or warm it in a skillet to return it to room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1/30 (1 piece)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 124Total Fat: 8.6gSaturated Fat: 3.2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCarbohydrates: 9.2gFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1.7gProtein: 2.7g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
These mushroom puff pastry bites make the perfect holiday appetizer! Try making them the next time you’re having a Christmas or Thanksgiving party – everyone will be impressed!
