Mushroom Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Dried Cranberries
- 4 tbsp. Salted Butter divided
- 8 oz. Crimini Mushrooms sliced
- 2 medium Onions sliced
- ¾ tsp. Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 15 Sage Leaves sliced
- ¼ tsp. Fine Sea Salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup Manchego or Gruyere shredded
- 1 pkg. 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.