Puff Pastry Canapés
·Ready-made pastry and cutters
Unwrap and unroll the puff pastry, then get two round cutters ready (square ones work too, but they're not as pretty) – one larger and one smaller, so that after cutting out the centre you're left with a neat little rim.
Using up the leftover pastry
Cut the rounds close together to save on dough. Gather the scraps, but don't squash them together too much – just lay them side by side and roll over lightly with a rolling pin so the pieces join up. I use this leftover pastry for things like savoury breadsticks or Nutella swirls.
Assembly – option one
Brush each round with beaten egg, then stack them up – starting with a solid base round (without a cut-out centre), topped with two rounds that have had their centres cut out.
Assembly – option two
Or stack the rounds together first. Press down lightly (so the finished shell doesn't slide apart or lean sideways, as happened with a few of mine) and only then brush with egg. Just be careful not to brush the sides, or the pastry won't rise properly.
Prick the base and bake
Bake in an oven preheated to 200 °C until nicely risen and golden. You can prick the bottom round with a fork before baking so it doesn't puff up too much.
Let them cool
Leave the baked shells to cool completely, then fill them with your prepared spreads.
Smoked salmon filling
Blended smoked salmon, cream cheese spread, salt and pepper. Garnish: chives or dill, a small piece of smoked salmon
Sun-dried tomato and olive filling
Ricotta blended with sun-dried tomatoes in oil. Garnish: a piece of black olive
Blue cheese filling
Blended blue cheese with cream cheese or cream cheese spread, thinned slightly and softened with a little cream. Garnish: a piece of toasted walnut
White mould cheese and grape filling
Blended and whipped white mould-ripened cheese, butter, cream. Garnish: a white grape
