Wild Mushroom Puff Pastries

Wild Mushroom Puff Pastries

• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 lb assorted wild mushrooms, chopped - whatever you come across. I often use criminis and shiitakes.
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, saute until fragrant and beginning to turn translucent. Add mushrooms, thyme and garlic and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, until mushrooms release their moisture and reduce by about half. 
3. Stir in Parmesan, nutmeg and heavy cream, and remove from heat. Allow to cool. Mushroom mixture will thicken as it cools.
4. While mushroom mixture is cooling, unfold pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 12 x 15 square. Cut sheets into 3 inch squares until you have 18. *
5. Place a mounded teaspoon of mushroom filling in the center of each square. Fold pastry over filling to form triangles. Press edges with a fork to seal. Place on a heavy baking sheet.
   
6. Bake for 12-16 minutes, until puffed and golden. These work well hot or at room temperature. They can also be reheated in a 350F oven for five minutes, so these are a pretty neat do-ahead trick. If they last.
   

*Easy cheater trick - puff pastry comes frozen and folded. Each sheet is folded into thirds. I just go ahead and break mine at the folds, then roll out each 1/3 sheet. Cut each piece into thirds and there's no need to measure - you end up with 18 evenly sized pastries.

You can also double or triple this recipe easily. I've cranked these out in pretty big batches.