Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Bites
- Savory
- Oven
Golden puff pastry squares with a lemony cream cheese and dill base, topped with smoked salmon and baked until the edges crisp. Easy party bites for a New Year's Eve table.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 20 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Zesting · Seasoning in layers
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. If the puff pastry is frozen, thaw it until it unfolds without cracking.
~10 min
Thawing until it unfolds without cracking keeps the butter layers intact, so the pastry puffs evenly instead of breaking at the folds.
-
Cut the puff pastry into 12 equal squares and arrange them on the lined tray, leaving 2 cm between them. Prick each square a few times with a knife so the centre stays flat.
~4 min
Pricking lets steam escape from the centre, so the squares rise at the edges but stay flat in the middle for the topping.
Pricking the pastry before baking keeps the centre flat so the cream cheese has a place to sit; skip it and the squares puff into domes.
-
Beat the egg in a small bowl. Brush the pastry squares with the beaten egg, then bake for 15 to 18 minutes until puffed and deep golden at the edges.
~18 min
The egg wash browns and glazes the surface, giving the pastry a deep golden, glossy crust as it bakes.
-
While step 3 cooks
While the pastry bakes, mix the cream cheese with the zest of the lemon, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 2 tbsp chopped dill, 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper in a bowl until smooth.
~5 min
Zesting Zest only the yellow outer peel, stopping before the white pith, which is bitter. A fine grater and light pressure give fragrant zest without bitterness.
Seasoning in layers Season the cream cheese and taste before topping, since the smoked salmon is already salty. Balance with lemon juice so the bites taste bright, not flat.
-
Let the pastry squares cool for 5 minutes, then press down the centre of each with the back of a spoon. Spoon the cream cheese mixture onto the squares and top with the smoked salmon, torn into small pieces.
~5 min
Cooling briefly sets the pastry structure, so pressing the centre makes a hollow that holds the cream cheese without crushing the layers.
Add the smoked salmon after baking, never before: it stays silky and the pastry keeps its crisp base.
Seasoning in layers Season the cream cheese and taste before topping, since the smoked salmon is already salty. Balance with lemon juice so the bites taste bright, not flat.
-
Scatter the remaining dill over the bites and serve while the pastry is still warm and crisp.
~2 min
