Puff 'the magic' Pastry

I was co-hosting a bachelorette party a few months ago and I had to bring a snack. And being Steph Snack, I couldn't just bring a bag of chips! I decided to try something a little different for the occasion and made some cheese and olive empanadillas. I had such a hard time deciding on what to get, and at the last minute I still didn't have anything planned, but I happened to have some time to waste at the drug store and found a tapas cookbook while waiting for my prescription. Well, I bought it and here we are!

Cheese and olive empanadillas (Tapas, 40 delicious traditional Spanish recipes)
3oz firm or soft cheese
1/2 cup green olives
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in oil (drained)
1 3/4 oz canned anchovies (drained)
black pepper
1 tbsp sundried tomato paste
All-purpose flour
1 lbs 2 oz ready-made puff pastry
One egg

• Preheat oven to 400F
• Cut cheese into small dices
• Chop olives, sundried tomatoes, and anchovies into bite sizes pieces
• Place all items into a bowl and season with cracked black pepper. Gently mix.
• Stir in sundried tomato paste
• Lightly flour a counter and roll out room-temp puff pastry
• Cut pastry into 18 circles (use the bottom of a can as a pattern)
• Pile a small amount of mixture in the center of each circle
• Dampen the edge of each pastry with water
• Bring the sides of each circle up and pinch the edges together to cover the filling
• Take the tip of a sharp knife and poke a few holes near the top of each piece (I think this serves the same purpose as putting holes in a pie....I think...)
• Place the pastry pieces on a baking sheet and brush with an egg-wash
• Bake for 10 - 15 min or until golden brown.

Tips: Don't spend a lot of money on your cheese.

Cheese and olive empanadillas

These were really easy to make and enjoyed by all. The hardest part was rolling out the pastry without tearing it.
You can serve the empanadilla warm or cold, but I prefer warm. Once served cold, the sundried tomato flavor becomes overpowering.

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So, why do I call this the magic pastry? Well, I had a few scraps left from making these empanadillas and I was able to have a few friends over and make mini pizzas and cheesy bread sticks!

Kisses from the Snack Shack!