Pistachio-Goat Cheese Puffs
By: Chef Lesli Sommerdorf for Harmons
Makes 35
Ingredients:
Puffs
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
- All-purpose flour for dusting
- 1 large egg, beaten
Topping
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 oz fresh goat cheese, softened
- 3 Tbsp butter, softened
- 1/3 cup shelled chopped pistachio nuts
- 3 Tbsp snipped fresh chives
- Freshly ground pepper
- 35 shelled whole pistachio nuts for garnish
Instructions:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°. Line 1 rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Have ready 1 more piece of parchment paper and 1 more rimmed baking sheet.
To make the puffs, on a lightly floured cutting board, roll the puff pastry just enough to remove the fold marks. Using a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out about 35 rounds. Place the rounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the rounds with the beaten egg, being careful the egg doesn't run down the sides. Cover with the second sheet of parchment, and place the second baking sheet on top. Bake until crisp and light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the top baking sheet and piece of parchment and let the wafers cool on the pan on a wire rack.
To make the topping, in the bowl of a food processor with the blade attachment, add the garlic and salt and process until the garlic is finely minced. Add the goat cheese and butter and process until smooth. Add the nuts and chives, and a few grinds of pepper, and pulse 2 or 3 times until combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To assemble, spoon the goat cheese topping into a pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch open star tip and pipe a rosette onto the center of each wafer. Alternatively, use a butter knife to apply a delicate dab of the goat cheese topping to the top of each wafer. Top each rosette or dab with a pistachio. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs
By: Chef Lesli Sommerdorf for Harmons
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 16 dried Mission figs
- 1/2 cup port
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, divided
- 8 oz. sliced prosciutto,
- 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- Wooden skewers
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the figs, port, and vinegar and cook until the figs are plumped and softened and most of the liquid is reduced, 10-15 minutes. Set aside until cool. Transfer figs to paper towels to dry.
On a work surface place, add 1 piece of prosciutto. Place 1 fig at one end of the prosciutto slice. Add a crumble of Gorgonzola and a sprinkle of rosemary and roll up prosciutto and place seam-side down on a plate. Impale with a wooden skewer, top with more Gorgonzola and season with black pepper. Repeat with the remaining figs.
