Recipe(tried): Puff Pastry Appetizers and Talmouses au Fromage

Hi Kate - hope you had a Merry Christmas.

About those frozen puffs: they were basically puff pastry with different flavorings on top - bacon, chive (freeze dried!), and undetermined cheese, if I remember correctly. You could easily recreate these by buying the Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, brushing the top with an egg wash, and sprinkling with those items. Cut into squares and bake at a high heat (425F-450F) until they puff and are golden.

Here are some tastier ideas for your puff pastry. All of these I make ahead and freeze before baking. You can bake straight from the freezer. Professional and pretty results can be achieved by brushing the tops of all these with a little egg wash to make a beautiful color, but it is optional:

~spread with a layer of honey mustard, then a layer of well-flavored, very thinly sliced ham (like proscuitto), then with a layer of finely grated cheese (parmesan or swiss). Roll up, chill, then slice into 1/2" slices and bake flat as above.
~roll dough thinner and cut in two equal-sized parts. Cover one half with shredded cheddar and/or parmesan, and sprinkle with some paprika or chili powder. Top with the other half. Roll to press together, then chill well. Cut into 3/4"-wide, 3"-long strips. Holding the ends of each strip, twist twice in opposite directions, and place on baking sheet. Bake as above.
~Spread a nice layer of prepared pesto over the puff pastry, roll up, chill, slice and cook as above.
~Spread a nice layer of olive tapenade and do the same roll up and slice technique.
~Here is a favorite and easy idea that I like the best, but I'm a blue cheese nut:

Talmouses au Fromage
(From an old Julia Child cookbook, "From
Julia's Kitchen.")

2 ounces (1/4 cup) roquefort or other blue cheese
1 egg, beaten, divided
Drops of worcestershire sauce pepper
1 tablespoon sour cream or creme fraiche
1 lb. puff pastry dough, defrosted per directions

Cream the cheese with half the egg and season. Add the sour cream to make a fairly thick paste that holds its shape.

Cut dough into 2" squares. Place a teaspoon of cheese mixture in center of each square. Moisten the 4 corners of each with cold water and pinch corners together over top of the filling.

Place bundles on a lightly greased cookie sheet, cover loosely and chill at least 30 minutes before baking (or, freeze and then place in sealed container and baked straight from the freezer).

Preheat oven to 450F degrees. Blend a teaspoon of water into the remaining egg and brush over pastries, then glaze again. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until puffed and brown - the corners spread open during baking, but stay upright to hold in the filling. Bake a little longer if they've been frozen. Serve warm.
*Notes - I prefer to cut the dough in slightly smaller squares and use a bit less of the filling in each one. A garlic-cream cheese and herb filling can substitute for the blue cheese.Hope this helps you a little! The key is making them ahead and then freezing them. I make some of each and freeze for holiday parties, pulling out an assortment for each party. I'm lucky enough to have Pepperidge Farm "outlet" store close by, and can buy the puff pastry at a discount there. Maybe you have one in your area?

Enjoy.