I close the year 2020 with yet another, let’s say the umpteenth, appetizer recipe, precisely these easy and stuffed puff pastry baskets, another tasty way to use ready-made puff pastry or homemade one.
So I don’t want to say anything about 2020, I just say it was very tough because… well, I think it was very difficult for everyone, so I’ll leave it at that!

I often use puff pastry which pairs perfectly with sweet recipes as well as savory recipes, and these flaky baskets are a simple container for savory mousse creams, small salads with boiled or grilled vegetables, small legumes, and even leftover pasta squares…
There is no shortage of choices for deliciously filling these crispy small containers, easy puff pastry baskets to fill deliciously!

For this little recipe, I made 5 different fillings, providing the foods as indicative suggestions because they are just ideas that you can vary according to your personal tastes.

The fillings of the savory baskets with puff pastry for appetizers I made today include:
– ready-made Russian salad or
insalata russa delle feste here’s my recipe;

– small cherry tomatoes with feta cubes, a little oil, and a pinch of oregano;
– taggiasca olive mousse;
– creamy cheese and a rose of smoked salmon;
– boiled shrimp with mayonnaise.

How to further vary the Fillings for Easy and Stuffed Puff Pastry Baskets?
We can use these small finger food containers even as a way to empty the fridge* because we can fill them with:
1. *leftover ragù;
2. *peas with cooked ham (a classic side dish made with a base of sautéed onion, then we add peas even frozen, and finally diced cooked ham);
3. boiled chickpeas with aromatic herbs;
4. *seasoned lentils (I love this dish made with a base of onion with a little oil, then I pour in already boiled lentils, add a rosemary mince, and a few tablespoons of tomato sauce);
5. at this end-of-year moment, we can also put some diced simply boiled cotechino;
6. cooked ham mousse
here’s my recipe;
7. capricciosa salad;
8. raw zucchini julienned with a mandoline, mixed with creamy cheese and aromatic herbs;
9. tuna mousse (natural tuna or well-drained from the preservation oil, then well blended with creamy cheese for a lighter cream, or we can add mayonnaise with some desalted capers and maybe half an anchovy…
and much more!

It is a creative appetizer, an easy and tasty finger food that should be made and eaten, especially if we prepare the individual portion shortcrust pastry baskets in advance, fill them at the last moment, otherwise the fillings’ moisture will make everything soggy!

I suggest other very simple appetizers like:
4 COLD APPETIZERS READY IN 10 MINUTES

QUICK AND TASTY MIXED APPETIZERS

EASY AND STUFFED PUFF PASTRY BASKETS
The ASI kitchen

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 16 puff pastry baskets
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

INGREDIENTS FOR EASY AND STUFFED PUFF PASTRY BASKETS RECIPE

1 package puff pastry (for 16 baskets)
to taste cherry tomatoes
to taste feta
to taste extra virgin olive oil
to taste dried oregano
to taste salt
to taste shrimp (fresh or frozen)
to taste mayonnaise
to taste salt
to taste chives
to taste taggiasca olives (the ones marked ALDI are super for me!)
to taste creamy cheese
to taste salt
to taste creamy cheese
to taste parsley
to taste smoked salmon
to taste salt
to taste pepper

TOOLS FOR EASY AND STUFFED PUFF PASTRY BASKETS RECIPE

#adv

Muffin Tin
Bowl
Knife
Spoon
Parchment Paper
Scissors

FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE EASY AND STUFFED PUFF PASTRY BASKETS RECIPE

I unroll the package of ready-made puff pastry onto a surface, for me a rolling board.
With a knife or with the pasta wheel, I trace 16 rectangles on the pastry by dividing every side in half first and then dividing the pastry in half again.
I put these pieces of puff pastry inside each space in the muffin tin: I have two small ones and I prepared both.
On each piece of puff pastry, I placed a square of parchment paper and then filled the cavity with dried beans or ceramic balls used for baking shortcrust… Basically, I’m baking the puff pastry baskets blind!
So I bake the tins at 392°F for about 15 minutes or depending on your oven’s features.
I remove the dried legumes and let the finger food with the ready-made puff pastry cool completely.
Now I proceed by combining the various fillings which are:
– I wash and cut the cherry tomatoes, also cut the feta into cubes, and mix in a bowl, adding a drop of Evo oil and seasoning with salt;
– I mix the cooked shrimp with a little mayonnaise, and season everything by adding a pinch of chopped chives;
– I blend together in the food processor creamy cheese and taggiasca olives, adjusting the seasoning;
– I soften the creamy cheese by stirring vigorously, add a little chopped parsley, and cut the smoked salmon into strips, put it in a piping bag and fill and decorate my ready puff pastry basket;
– I prepare the Russian salad by separately boiling the vegetables or I go to the deli and buy it already made, then fill the basket.
Here are the easy and stuffed puff pastry baskets ready!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020, I sincerely wish you all the best for you and those you hold dear!
Enjoy your meal!
Annalisa
P.S. Which one do you prefer???