Feta puffs

These adorable little pop-in-your mouth morsels are greeted with a chorus of “cheesy poofs!” from our friends. They take a mild bit of fussing (not difficult) over the filling and cutting business, but luckily it can all be done well in advance so by the time your guests arrive they can just be popped out of the oven like magic.

Feta puffs

From Gourmet, May 2003

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

Flour for board

Scant ½ cup crumbled feta (if using brined feta, drain very well first)

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 large egg, lightly beaten, divided

1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Method

Roll out pastry to a 14- by 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured board (it comes in a square about 9½ inches, so you’re mostly making one side longer). Trim edges with a pastry cutter or pizza wheel. Cut into six strips 1½ inches wide. Place strips on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wraps and chill until cold, about 10 minutes.

Blend feta, cream, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg in a food processor. Divide mixture into 21 balls and place on waxed paper sheet. I’d start with a ½ teaspoon measure as a starting point and divvy up from there. Yes, it’s a tiny amount, but you’ll understand why when you assemble them.

Brush 1 strip of pastry with some of the beaten egg. Place 7 balls evenly on strip, leaving a ½ inch of space on either end. Cover with another pastry strip. Press ends together and press between the balls enough to seal (but try to avoid squashing the filling so it doesn’t ooze out). If any filling does escape, wipe it away. Cut between mounds to form squares. Place pastries on parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with more egg wash (just the tops, not the sides) and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Repeat with remaining strips. (You’ll wind up with 21 squares.)

Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve warm. I’ve no idea if these reheat well or what they taste like not warm. They’ve never lasted long enough when I’ve served them to find out.

Make ahead: Once you’ve formed the pastries, you can freeze them well wrapped in plastic for a few weeks. Thaw in the refrigerator, then brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with thyme before baking. I’ve formed them a few hours in advance and wrapped them in the frig before the brushing/sprinkling/baking bit, which gives you plenty of time to clean up.