This is my first attempt in baking puff pastry appetizer using frozen pastry and adding French Chèvre or fresh goat cheese to my baking 😊
Fresh and young chèvre is soft, creamy, and spreadable, with a mild, buttery flavor and a color similar to cream cheese. It carries a little tangy taste which made it suitable be used as the topping of a rich puff pastry snack.
To be honest, I was not a fan of goat products. I always perceived goat products as having a peculiar smell and taste. However, after tasting Ile De France fresh goat cheese, it totally changed my perception of goat cheese. It is creamy, and taste like light cream cheese with mild tangy taste 😋 As goat cheese only softened but does not melt under high heat like cow cheese, this property made it suitable to be used as topping over open tart or puff pastry.
Enjoy this tasty appetizer 😋
Yield: about 12 bite size snack
Ingredients
130g frozen puff pastry block *
30g chèvre or French goat cheese
12~15g Korean honey citron tea
2~3 tsp golden syrup/honey for drizzling
1 mint leaf, chopped finely
Some beaten egg as egg wash
* you can also use frozen puff pastry sheet which has been rolled out into thin sheets.
Directions
1. Thaw the frozen puff pastry block in its own packaging for about 1 hour in room temperature. Or, thaw in the fridge overnight.
I wrapped the remaining puff pastry block in cling wrap, and sealed back the original packaging. I kept it in the chiller. Best consume the remaining puff pastry dough within 3 days after opening as advise by the instruction stipulated on the packaging.
3. Apply some flour over the surface before rolling out to a thickness of about 3mm.
4. Cut the puff pastry dough into about 12 squares using a wheel pizza cutter, or a pairing knife.
5. Use the pointed edge of a pairing knife to give the edge of the cut puff pastry dough about 2 to 3 3mm short slits.
6. Make a depression at the center of the cut puff pastry dough,
followed by pricking a series of holes over the depression using a fork. This is to prevent the center of the puff pastry from over inflating during baking.
7. Transfer the cut puff pastry to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Dispense small amount of chèvre or goat cheese enough to fill up the pricked area in the center.
8. Apply egg wash over the exposed puff pastry surface.
9. Bake at middle rack of a preheated oven at 190℃ for 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 180℃ for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the puff pastry bases have puffed up, and become golden.
End of baking 👇
11. Transfer the tray of baked chèvre or goat cheese puff pastry to a cooling rack.
12. While the baked items are still hot, add a small amount of Korean honey citron tea next to the goat cheese. Sprinkle some mint leaf bit over.
10. While the puff pastry is baking, take about 1 heap tsp of Korean honey citron tea, and cut the rind into tiny bits using a pair of scissors. Set aside.
Cut one mint leaf into fine bits. Set aside.
13. Enjoy the appetizer warm and crispy 😋
Thank you Savencia Fromage & Dairy for the complimentary blocks of chèvre 😊
