Puff Pastry Appetizers make the best recipes. Puff pastry cooks crispy and tender and gives the recipes so much flavor.

Be amazed by the versatility of wonton wrappers. Keep a pack handy in your freezer and you'll always be prepared to whip up bite size treats - sweet or savoury! 1. Apple Pie Cups! By yours truly.

A crunchy tasty side dish for your parties and gatherings with countless variations.

Your guests won't flake, but your food will.

nostalgic food

This is Martha Stewart's Alsatian Potato Pie as made by food blogger Sippity Sup.

These French onion soup puffs are the perfect canape. Filled with soft, caramelized onions and nutty Gruyere, they are a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

GREGGS is one of the nation's favourite bakeries, and if you want to have a go at recreating one of their classic treats, here is how to make your own Greggs sausage roll at home.

Chicken Pot Pies

Crispy phyllo meat pie with spiced ground beef and leek filling and extra crispy pastry!

Today is the reveal date for this month's Daring Bakers' Challenge and guess what?! I'm still mixing, rolling, turning, chilling and baking (this will make more sense when you read the directions later). Yep, I've waited till the last possible minute, so I'll be back much later today (hopefully before midnight PST). Check back later for write-up and pictures of this delicious pastry. I know, I know, it's actually Tuesday now (yes, I'm 2 days late with this post--my first time and hopefully the LAST time) and I have the puff pastry made, baked and filled with yummy goodness. But first things first--a BIG thank you to our hostess for choosing a great Daring Bakers' challenge: The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan. These last two weeks have been busy, busy, BUSY with work and other types of baking and before I knew it, it was the 27th and I hadn't started the challenge yet. I've been looking forward to making puff pastry, since it's been awhile since I've made it and I was excited to come up with some delicious savory and sweet fillings--and then I ran out of time and had to make fillings using what I happen to have on hand. I decided to only use 1/3 of the dough and I rolled out the rest into sheets and they are in the freezer. I will be re-visiting the puff pastry later in the month and be a bit more creative with some fillings, but all was not lost with this last minute challenge. If you happen to have some puff pastry in your freezer (homemade or even store bought), then you will appreciate the simplicity of the fillings I made. They were quick and easy and the best part was they were delicious and they could be made at the last minute if you have unplanned guests show up. I decided to make mini vols-au-vent's for both the savory and sweet fillings. Although they can be eaten in 3 or 4 bites, 2 or 3 of these filled with the savory filling were plenty. For the first batch, I made a Creamy Chicken & Herb filling with fresh cherry red and yellow tomatoes, topped with freshly grated Asiago Cheese. Creamy Chicken & Herb Filling Ingredients: Boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cream of chicken soup, milk, lemon-n-herb seasoning, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, asiago cheese & yellow and red cherry tomatoes. 1) Cook chicken with seasonings and herbs in pan on stove top. 2) Add cream of chicken soup and about 1/2 cup milk and mix with cooked chicken. Simmer for a few minutes till combined and hot throughout. 3) Spoon chicken mixture into puff pastry and garnish with parsley, cheese and tomatoes. Now for the dessert. I made a puff pastry trio dessert plate, because two desserts are better than one and three is better than two! Again, these were filled with ingredients or products that I had on hand and they didn't take long to put together. Dessert #1: Fresh Raspberries w/Dark Chocolate & Sweetened Whipped Cream Dessert #2 Apricot-Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream w/Fresh Pomegranate Seeds Dessert #3 Lemon Curd w/Fresh Blueberries & White Chocolate Shavings It was fun and relaxing to make puff pastry (once I was able to catch up with my work and everything else that I felt like I was behind on) and it was a great reminder to make this more often than I have in the past. Now for the recipe! Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough Ingredients: 2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour 1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour 1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations) 1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water 4 sticks (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter plus extra flour for dusting work surface Mixing the Dough: *Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them. 1) Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.) 2) Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes. 3) Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing. Incorporating the Butter: 1) Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps. 2) Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square. 3) To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled. Making the Turns: 1) Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich. 2)With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn. 3) Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn. Chilling the Dough: 1) If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns. 2) The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it. Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent: Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe below will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4” vols-au-vent *You will need: well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe below)-egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)-your filling of choice 1) Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. 2) Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage.) 3) On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting. (This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d'oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.) 4) Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile. 5) Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well. 6) Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.) 7) Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.) 8) Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings. Fill and serve.

Tangy mayonnaise-Dijon sauce adds zip to flaky pastry and layers of crisp arugula, thinly sliced smoked salmon and nutty-flavored Asiago cheese. —Jamie Brown-Miller, Napa, California

Store bought puff pastry is the base for these easy, but impressive looking appetizers. If you love making homemade puff pastry you can certainly use that. Grape tomatoes are tossed with olive oil and then roasted. The puff pastry shells are pressed into mini muffin tins and then filled with a savory goat cheese mixture that everyone will love. Top with one or two of the roasted tomatoes and bake for a few minutes. These apps will be the perfect addition to your party table.

You can use any size phyllo sheets and adjust the toppings accordingly. We used 14-by-18-inch sheets and rolled the rim making a 9-by-13-inch tart.

A crunchy tasty side dish for your parties and gatherings with countless variations.

these ham & gruyère twists, inspired by those beautifully golden ham & cheese croissants you see at any fancy-pants french breakfast spot, have perfectly puffy pastry, with salty ham & nutty gruyère, & are finished with a sprinkle of sesame & fennel. served in bite-sized form, they make a great little snack for an elegant brunch gathering & they’re equally delicious when you have friends over for cocktails & appetizers.

Tomato Tartlets with Puff Pastry are a flaky, cheesy appetizer, brunch treat, or snack made in just 30 minutes. Each bite is a medley of flaky puff pastry, creamy ricotta, Italian herbs, and juicy tomatoes. Make individual tartlets or one large tart to be sliced and shared at your next party.

These tasty sausage rolls are buttery puff pasty stuffed with browned sausage, onion, a touch of Dijon mustard, and parsley.  They are brushed with egg wash and baked to golden perfection.

Notes: Fillo (or phyllo) comes in all shapes and sizes these days. The variety I can find, Athens brand, weighs 1 pound and contains two 8-oz bags of 20 sheets each measuring 9 x 14-inches. If your fillo comes in the larger sheets, cut it in half so that it’s roughly 9 x 14-inches. After you cut it, gently roll it up and place it in a ziploc bag.

These spicy Korean Gochujang noodles are so easy to make, saucy, spicy yet sweet and perfect for a simple 30 minute dinner! Served with ground meat of choice such as beef, turkey or chicken for a simple and protein packed recipe.

The sausage roll is classic British fare, that is as versatile as it is easy to make. It can be served hot or cold, in a canapé size as an appetizer or in a larger roll for brunch, lunch, a snack or an entrée.

Discover the perfect appetizer or snack with our delectable puff pastry spinach and ricotta rolls recipe – a savory blend of flavors that will leave you craving more!

I have always been a bring-your-lunch to work kind of person. It's cheaper, sure, but I find that overall I like it because it's healthier and the portions are more my size, and everything's usually fresher. Not that there are so many (okay any) lunch options in Algiers, unless meat between bread counts. This quick phyllo pie is the sort of thing I make often for lunches. Sometimes it's a tart, or a frittata, something that keeps well and slices easily and is a bit more substantial to my other rotating lunch item, salad. Honestly, I usually make these things slapdash with whatever I have on hand, but this time I've bothered to take some measurements. As I've discussed many times before (see: baklava), phyllo is not nearly as hard to work with as you think. I don't bother to brush every single layer with butter, but the crust here is really just a lovely vehicle for the salty sweet filling with peppers and olives. You can make this with or without cheese - since I'm lactose intolerant I skip the cheese most time and find that it's just as good. Happy lunching! Spinach and Roasted Pepper Phyllo Pie 1 package phyllo 4 tablespoons butter, melted 3 eggs 4 ounces plain yogurt 1 large bunch spinach, stems trimmed and chopped 4 roasted red peppers, diced 1/2 cup black/purple olives, pitted and chopped 1 sprig of mint, leaves removed and sliced 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional salt, red pepper flakes 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan. Add the spinach and let cook over medium-low heat until very dark and cooked through. Scrape the spinach into a large bowl. 2. Place the diced roasted red peppers, olives, and mint into the bowl. Break in the 3 eggs and add in the yogurt and stir well with a fork to combine. Sprinkle in the feta, if using, and season very well with salt and red pepper flakes. 3. Brush the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with butter. Keep your phyllo dough covered with some plastic wrap and a damp towel while you're working. Cut your phyllo into 10-12 inch squares (ie, slightly larger than your baking pan). Place about 3-5 sheets of phyllo into the pan, fitting them up the sides. Brush the phyllo well with butter. Repeat this two more times for the bottom phyllo layer. Scoop in the filling. Trim the phyllo to 8-inch square, and repeat with three layers of 3-4 sheets each, brushing each well with butter. 4. Bake the pie in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until nicely browned.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy dumplings is by either steaming or boiling these and finishing it off with what I like to call the best dumpling sauce - with the perfect balance of savoury, heat, bit of sweetness and acidity. Let’s not forget the aromatics that really take it up a notch!

These French onion and portobello mushroom pinwheels are a little holiday treat and they were the perfect appetizer for my tree decorating party.

These classic British sausage rolls are so simple to throw together and make a delcious snack, breakfast or heavy appetizer. Serve them with tomato chutney for a perfect bite!

Easily turn this delicious Thai Gazpacho into a vegan/vegetarian version by swapping out the fish sauce for vegan fish sauce or soy sauce and omitting the shrimp garnish!

This Japanese sesame sauce, also known as goma dare, is a mayo-free, nutty and tangy dressing perfect for steamed veggies, salads and noodles.

These crispy, oven-baked eggplant rounds are tossed in flour, dipped in an egg wash, and coated in a mixture of panko, parmesan, and parsley, then baked until golden and crispy. Add a sprinkle of fresh lemon, your favorite marinara sauce, and you've got a delicious meatless main or cocktail party appetizer.

Harissa cauliflower over creamy hummus and drizzled with sweet-and-savory dill tahini dressing is a show-stopping entree. You can adjust the heat to suit your tastes, so don’t worry if spicy food isn’t your thing.

Learn how to make Spinach and Feta Cheese Borek - A classic Turkish Borek recipe made with stuffing phyllo sheets with spinach and feta. This authentic and simple recipe can be made ahead and baked right before serving for a warm and delicious breakfast or brunch recipe.

Kashke Bademjan is a popular Persian Eggplant Dip that is easy to make. It's a perfect warm appetizer, served with Persian or Pita bread

Learn how to make kanom jeeb, Thai dumplings, and pair them with a dipping sauce of your choice.

My turn to try the upside down puff pastry trend! These ones are packed with cheddar cheese, broccoli, red onion, and lots of flavor. This kid-friendly option can also be made without the red onions if your little ones don't like them. Go ahead and try different shredded cheese if you don't have cheddar on hand.

Coucou les gourmands! C’est la folie des cookies en ce moment! C’est parce que je suis en train de créer un nouveau projet, pour faire suite à mon joli Agenda Gourmand… et oui, on ne m’arrête plus! Je fais donc tout plein de nouveaux tests de recettes, et ces cookies pleins de pistac

These delicious rice balls are easy to make and better for you because they are not fried in oil. Add it to your leftover rice recipes for a meal or snack.