Tiny Shrimp Pastries

Fish markets will sometimes use the word prawn to describe large shrimp, and you definitely want tiny delicate shrimp for this recipe. Frozen puff pastry, a cookie cutter, piping tips and a piping bag are essential to create flower petal shaped pastries topped with a swirl of creamy herbed shrimp filling. These pop-in-your-mouth appetizers are simply too easy to make.

Pastry

    1 (17.3-ounce) package puff pastry

Filling

    2 tablespoons butter
    ½ pound miniature shrimp, chopped (100 per pound)
    3 tablespoons chopped green onion
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
    2 (8-ounce) packages cold cream cheese
    ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
    1 teaspoon garlic salt
    ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns
    ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Garnish

    Capers


1.  Thaw the unopened box of puff pastry in the refrigerator
     overnight or set it out on the counter and thaw according to
     the instructions on the box, or about ½ an hour.

2.  Melt the butter in a 10-inch frying pan. Fry the shrimp, green
     onion and parsley all at once for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

3.  In a large bowl, stir the cream cheese until softened. Stir in
     the shrimp mixture. Add the dill weed, garlic salt, pepper and          
     Worcestershire sauce and stir until well blended.

4.  Fit a piping bag with a number 863 piping tip. Spoon filling         
     into the bag and refrigerate until cold or until needed.

5.  Lay the pastry out on a floured bread board. Cut out 1-inch
     flower shaped pastries. Press the small end of a number 807
     piping tip into ½ the flower shapes to create a hole for
     filling. Moisten the edge of a regular flower shape, top with
     a second flower shape with a hole. Place the double
     layer pastries on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

6.  Bake pastries in a preheated 400 oven for 8 to 10 minutes.     
     Set the delicate pastries on a cooling rack.

7.  When completely cooled, fill each pastry with the shrimp filling.
     Top each pastry with a caper. Place the filled pastries
      on a doily lined plate. Refrigerate until serving time.

       Hint: These are best made on the day of serving. The shrimp
       should also be finely chopped or it will stick in the piping tip
       and it will be difficult to pipe the filling.

       Capers: These are tiny olive-green buds of a trailing bush
       native to the Mediterranean. Once a bottle is opened they may
       be kept in the refrigerator for up to one year.

       Makes 40 pastries