Camembert aux Noix Amuse-Bouches
Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 50 min
• Puff pastry can be baked and rounds separated into tops and bottoms 1 day ahead, then cooled completely and kept at room temperature in an airtight container.
• Pastries can be filled (but not baked) 1 hour ahead and kept, loosely covered, at room temperature.
Recipe information
Total Time
50 min
Yield
Makes 40 hors d'oeuvres or 8 servings
Ingredients
For pastry
For cheese filling
Special Equipment
Preparation
Make pastry:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Stir together walnuts, butter, and salt.
Step 3
Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 14- by 12-inch rectangle. Cut out 40 rounds with lightly floured cookie cutter and discard trimmings.
Step 4
Brush tops of rounds with egg wash, then sprinkle each with about 1/4 teaspoon walnut mixture and transfer to a parchment-lined large baking sheet. Bake rounds in middle of oven until golden and puffed, 10 to 15 minutes, then slide pastries on parchment onto a rack to cool. (Leave oven on.)
Step 5
While pastries are still warm, gently pull each one apart to make a top and a bottom. Lightly press down any puffed inner layers on tops and bottoms if necessary.
Make filling while pastry bakes:
Step 6
Mash together cheese and toasted walnuts with a fork.
Fill pastries:
Step 7
Sandwich a 1/2-teaspoon mound of cheese filling inside each pastry (between top and bottom), then bake in middle of oven on parchment-lined baking sheet (it's not necessary to use a clean sheet of parchment) until cheese begins to melt, 2 to 3 minutes. Season tops of pastries with pepper and serve immediately.
