Pizza Puffs
Bite-sized appetizers made by wrapping a cheese filling in quick puff pastry, brushed with garlic-infused olive oil and topped with cherry tomatoes, then baked until golden. Best served warm.
Ingredients
quick puff pastry dough (see recipe on page 358, freeze half for later)
½ portion
extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp
garlic (finely minced)
1 tsp
Parmesan cheese (finely grated, divided)
½ cup
Fontina cheese (grated)
⅓ cup
cherry tomatoes (halved)
19
kosher salt (to taste)
to taste
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
to taste
fresh basil leaves (for garnish)
a pinch
Instructions
1
Make the puff pastry dough
Prepare the quick puff pastry dough according to the instructions on page 358.
2
Preheat the oven
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350°F (about 175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
3
Make the garlic oil
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and garlic; set aside.
4
Shape the dough
Place the dough on a floured work surface and roll it into a 10 x 11 inch rectangle. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the Parmesan and all of the Fontina over half of the rectangle. Fold the cheese-free half over the cheese-covered half and press the edges to close. Roll the dough out to ⅜ inch thick. Using a 1¾ inch fluted round cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets about ½ inch apart.
5
Assemble the puffs
Lightly brush each dough round with the garlic-infused olive oil (reserving the remaining oil). Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Place a tomato half on top of each round, cut side up, and gently press it into the dough so it does not slide off during baking. Season with salt and black pepper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges and bottoms are golden.
6
Garnish and serve
Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack and brush each tomato with some of the reserved garlic oil to give it a glossy finish. Top each puff with a small basil leaf and serve immediately.
