Yummy appetisers

Puff pastry is one of my favourite pastries to work with. I love the crispy texture combined with the buttery flavour. It works so well with both savoury and sweet dishes, and if you buy it ready made and add a few simple ingredients, it can become one of the quickest snacks to offer your guests.

This recipe for small appetisers works perfectly for a buffé, as a starter for a meal or even as small eats for your guests to snack on when they arrive.

One of the best things with these snacks is that you can prepare lots of them in advance and then freeze them in. Then if you have surprise visitors some day and you need something quickly to serve them, all you have to do is take these little babies out of the freezer and pop them straight into the oven and…voíla! Delicious, home-made treats in just a few minutes.

To see this recipe in Swedish, click here.

Mozarella and cherry tomato squares:

Makes about 20



-1 sheet of puff pastry (about an A4 size)
-50 g parmesan cheese, grated
-125g fresh mozzarella, roughly chopped
-about 20 cherry tomatoes
-fresh basil to garnish

1. Put the oven on 225 degrees C.
2. Cut the pastry into squares (about 4x4 cm).
3. Baste the squares with a lightly beaten egg yolk (or milk will also work).
4. Put a little bit of parmesan and mozarella in the middle of every square.
5. Cut the tomatoes in half and put 2 halves on each square.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
8. Garnish with the basil leaves.

(Raw tomato doesn’t freeze well, so if you want to prepare these in advance, only freeze them in once they have been baked and then reheat in the oven before serving.)

Garlic and herb puffs:

Makes about 24



-1 sheet of puff pastry, cut in half (into 2 A5 sized rectangles)
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1/2 tsp dried thyme
-1 handful of fresh basil
-about 80g marinated garlic cloves
-4 tbsp creme fraiche or cream cheese

1. Put the oven on 225 degrees C.
2. Chop the garlic and basil finely (or mix in a blender on the pulse setting until roughly chopped).
3. Mix in the rest of the herbs.
4. Spread 2 tbsp of the creme fraiche on each piece of pastry. Then spread the garlic mixture over.
5. Roll up the dough (starting with the long side), brush the pastry with a lightly beaten egg yolk and cut each roll into about 10 pieces. (If making in advance, prepare until this point and freeze.)
6. Place the small rolls flat onto some wax paper, season with salt and pepper and bake for about 10-12 minutes.
7. Serve.