Mini Ham Croissants Recipes

HAM AND CHEESE MINI CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; cover and let stand until butter is slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Roll dough out to a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Wrap one half with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Place remaining half on a large (about 18-by-25-inch) piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 16-by-20-inch rectangle, stopping to chill dough as necessary if butter becomes too soft; transfer to a large baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with remaining piece of dough.
• Transfer one piece of dough to a lightly floured work surface so that one of the longer sides is facing you. Halve dough to make two 16-by-10-inch rectangles.
• Using a pizza cutter, trim a scant 1/8 inch from all sides of each rectangle of dough. Working quickly, using pizza cutter to cut each half into 1 1/2-by-3-inch rectangles. You should have about 60 rectangles.
• Place 1 slice ham in the center of each dough rectangle; top each with a slice of cheese. Starting from one short end and working toward the other, roll to enclose. Brush edges with water and gently press to adhere.
• In a small bowl, whisk egg together with 1 teaspoon water. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; place rectangles on prepared baking sheets, seam-side down, leaving room for croissants to rise. Brush tops with egg mixture, reserving remaining egg mixture. Place 3 narrow drinking glasses upside-down between each roll of dough; cover well with plastic wrap, making sure plastic does not touch dough. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in size and feel hollow when gently touched, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Uncover and remove glasses from baking sheets; brush croissants lightly with remaining egg mixture (reserving remaining for second piece of dough). Transfer to oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat steps 3 through 8 with remaining piece of refrigerated dough.

HAM AND DIJON CROISSANT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a small bowl, combine softened butter with the Dijon, chopped onion, and poppyseeds.
• Spread generously onto both (inner) sides of the split croissants.
• Place one slice each of ham and Swiss cheese into each croissant, and replace tops.
• Wrap each croissant or Hawaiian roll in a square of foil, sealing carefully. At this point sandwiches may be baked right away, or refrigerate or freeze (use a freezer bag) for later use.
• Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 15-20 minutes, until hot. If frozen, bake at 300 F for about 25-30 minutes, until heated through.
• Serve hot, or at room temperature. Good sides are soup or salad, and fresh fruit for dessert.
• NOTE: If using mini-rolls, you may bake them in a buttered baking dish (no need to individually wrap).

MINI HAM CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the 10 by 12-inch rectangle puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface with the short side in front of you and cut it into four 3-inch wide strips from left to right. Next cut each strip into 6 triangles. Arrange the triangles on the work surface with the tips facing you. Gently pull each tip toward you; this light stretch adds layers to the finished croissant without adding density. Place a small amount of chopped ham on the wide side of each triangle, about 1/2-inch from the edge. Use the tips of your fingers to roll the triangle from the base to the tip. Place the croissants seam side down on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Combine egg wash ingredients and brush the tops of the croissants. Bake until well risen and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving. All of these puff pastry items are best eaten the day they are made.