Croustades Recipes

LITTLE CROUSTADES FILLED WITH GRAVADLAX AND SOURED CREAM

Steps:

• Begin by placing the slices of bread on a flat surface and rolling them with a rolling pin to make them as thin as possible. Next stamp out rounds using a 2¼ inch (5.5 cm) plain cutter. Melt the butter in a small pan containing the garlic and a seasoning of salt and freshly milled black pepper. Now brush the little bread rounds on both sides with melted butter and then press them into the tins firmly. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes or until crisp and brown. Cool them on a wire rack and store them in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks. To fill them for serving, simply pile the finely chopped gravadlax into each one and top with a little of the sauce that comes with it. Add a blob of soured cream and a dash of cayenne pepper.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Combine yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to stand until creamy and frothy.
• Measure flour into a mixing bowl. Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar and salt in warm milk. Blend into flour along with yeast and oil. Mix well; knead until smooth. Cover, and let rise until over triple in volume, about 3 hours. Deflate gently, and let rise again until doubled, about another 3 hours. Deflate and chill 20 minutes.
• Massage butter until pliable, but not soft and oily. Pat dough into a 14x8-inch rectangle. Smear butter over top two thirds, leaving 1/4-inch margin all around. Fold unbuttered third over middle third, and buttered top third down over that. Turn 90 degrees, so that folds are to left and right. Roll out to a 14x6-inch rectangle. Fold in three again. Sprinkle lightly with flour, and put dough in a plastic bag. Refrigerate 2 hours. Unwrap, sprinkle with flour, and deflate gently. Roll to a 14x6-inch rectangle, and fold again. Turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Wrap, and chill 2 hours.
• To shape, roll dough out to a 20x5-inch rectangle. Cut in half crosswise, and chill half while shaping the other half. Roll out to a 15 x 5 inch rectangle. Cut into three 5 x 5 inch squares. Cut each square in half diagonally. Roll each triangle lightly to elongate the point, and make it 7 inches long. Grab the other 2 points, and stretch them out slightly as you roll it up. Place on a baking sheet, curving slightly. Let shaped croissants rise until puffy and light. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Glaze croissants with egg wash.
• Bake in a preheated 475 degrees F (245 degrees C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

JAM-FILLED CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Dough: In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over milk; stir until dissolved. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla seeds. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, mix together 4 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and 1/2 stick butter on low speed until butter is incorporated and mixture resembles coarse meal, 3 to 4 minutes. Add yeast mixture; mix until dough just comes together. Add eggs and yolk; mix until just combined, 2 to 3 minutes (do not overmix).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, making sure to include any loose bits left at bottom of bowl. Gently knead to form a smooth ball, about 30 seconds. Wrap tightly in plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together remaining 3 1/2 sticks butter and 2 tablespoons flour. Shape mixture into a 12-by-10-inch rectangle on a piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate 15 minutes or up to 1 day. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, a little over 1/4 inch thick, keeping the corners as square as possible. Remove any excess flour with a dry pastry brush. Remove butter mixture from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until it is the same consistency as the dough. With a short side facing you, place butter mixture over two-thirds of the dough. Fold the unbuttered third over as you would a business letter, followed by the remaining third. This seals in the butter.
• Roll out dough again to an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, then fold into thirds as described above; refrigerate 1 hour. This completes the first of three turns. Repeat rolling and folding process two more times, refrigerating at least 1 hour between turns. To help you remember how many turns have been completed, mark the dough after each one: make one mark for the first turn, two for the second, and three for the third.
• Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Dough can also be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 2 weeks (thaw in refrigerator overnight before using).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 20-by-16-inch rectangle, trimming edges if necessary. Using a ruler, cut into twenty 4-inch squares and transfer to one of three parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving an even amount of space between squares until you have two sheets with 7 squares each, and one sheet with 6 squares.
• Working with one square at a time, fold in half to form a triangle. Using a sharp pizza wheel, make a cut parallel to one of the short sides of the triangle, about 1/4 inch from the edge, stopping about 1/8 inch from the opposite short side. Make a second cut parallel to the opposite short side, about 1/4 inch from the edge, stopping about 1/8 inch from the first line. (Make sure lines do not meet.) Unfold triangle back into a square and brush egg wash along edges. Fold outer cut corners over to opposite inside corners. Press borders down to seal. Repeat with remaining squares. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill center of each square with 1 tablespoon jam, then lightly brush dough with egg wash. Bake, rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely. Pastries are best served the same day.

CHICKEN CROUSTADE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• With a rolling pin, roll out each bread slice until thin. Cut out bread with plain round cutter 1 1/2 inches in diameter and flatten again with a rolling pin. Oil small muffin tins and place the bread rounds inside. Bake until golden. Store the croustade shells covered in a dry area.
• Reduce the cream by half and reserve until needed. Saute the chicken in 1 tablespoon oil until half cooked. Add the prosciutto and continue to cook until is thoroughly heated and chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add the cream and black pepper, to taste; bring to a simmer. Add a little hot cream to the egg yolk to temper and add to pot, being careful not to boil. Add the cheese, basil, and parsley. Adjust seasoning. Fill the croustade shells; sprinkle with a little additional grated Parmesan and brown lightly under a broiler or salamander. Serve warm.

MUSHROOMS AUX CROUSTADE

Steps:

• Cut the baguette in 1/4-inch slices. In a large saute pan over high heat, saute the chopped mushrooms in butter in small batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and release their juices. Add the shallots and garlic toward the end of the cooking process, then deglaze with white wine. Add parsley, season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve on top of the slices of the baguette, or in a bowl on the table.

APPLE CROSTATA

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter using 2 knives or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Mix water and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Stir into flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Gently roll into a ball and flatten slightly. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Toss apples with 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons flour in a large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll dough out to a 12-inch circle on a floured work surface. Transfer to the baking sheet. Arrange apple slices in the center of the circle, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Fold up border over apples, pinching together slightly.
• Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over apples.
• Bake crostata in the preheated oven until crust is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

BREAD CUP MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Bread Cup: Preheat oven to 400°F Cut a 2-3 inch round from each bread slice. Gently fit bread rounds into each mold of a mini-mufin pan to form a cup. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and set aside.
• Filling: In a heavy skillet, saute shallots in butter for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and simmer, uncovered until all liquid has evaporated; about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir flour into mushrooms. Pour cream over and return to heat.
• Stirring constantly, bring to boil and cook another minute or so while mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until cool.
• Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F Fill cups with mixture and sprinkle with minced parsley and parmesan cheese of desired. Bake 10 minutes on ungreased baking sheet.
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• NOTE: Appetizers can be made in advance and then frozen for future use. Follow the Bread cup and Filling directions above. Freeze the filled cups in the mini-muffin pan. Once frozen, you can place them in plastic bags for easier storage. When you remove them from the freezer, allow to thaw completely before baking them.

MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

Steps:

• For Croustade:
• Use a rolling pin to flatten each bread slice. Cut 3" (18 small) or 4" (12 large) rounds and gently fit into small or large muffin tins.
• Bake for 10 - 15 minutes at 425 or until golden and crisp. Cool on wire racks.
• Filling:.
• Melt butter in a large skillet and saute green onions for several minutes without browning.
• Stir in the mushrooms and mix well. Cook 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until moisture has evaporated.
• Remove from heat, sprinkle with flour and stir to coat the mushrooms.
• Gradually add the cream and return to heat.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and then reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until thick.
• Stir in all the other ingredients.
• Transfer filling to a bowl, cover it and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To Serve:.
• Place croustade on cookie sheet and fill each croustade with mushroom filling so that it is slightly mounded.
• Sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese and dot with butter.
• Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and then turn to broil and brown the tops lightly.
• Serve hot.