This week I will be featuring some great appetizer recipes that are perfectly suitable for the upcoming holiday party season. Whether you are hosting your own party or attending and need to bring a dish, I hope you will find some of these recipes useful!
First up for "Appetizer Week" are these asparagus twists. These are made with puff pastry sheets are and are really simple to prepare. Puff pastry is such a versatile medium for appetizers, and I suggest always having a couple sheets in the freezer that you can use anytime (especially during the holiday season). In my mind, appetizers should be easy and quick and most importantly....not stressful!
Asparagus Twists
Yields 16 spears
Adapted liberally from The Essential FingerFood Cookbook
1 bunch aspargus (16-18 spears), blanched
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg lightly beaten
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ - ½ teaspoon garlic salt
Sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
Begin by blanching your asparagus. Place asparagus into a pot of boiling water. Boil for 3-5 minutes or until asparagus has turned bright green. Place asparagus in a bowl with ice cold water to stop the cooking process.
Melt you butter and garlic butter together and set aside.
Lay 1 piece of thawed puff pastry on a work surface. Cut into 1 -1.5 inch thick strips, then brush with egg. Douse each asparagus spear with the garlic-butter mixture, and carefully wind a strip of puff pastry around it. Repeat process with each spear. Lay prepared spears onto a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes, or until the puff pastry has turned golden brown. Serve and let your guests enjoy!
These eye catching appetizers turned out great. I originally made the garlic butter with garlic powder instead of salt, and found that they were lacking a bit in flavor. So if you end up using these for a party, definitely use garlic salt to enhance the flavor. I love sesame seeds, and I think they added great flavor and texture to the asparagus.
If you are looking to add a little pizzaz to the ordinary appetizer, this is a definite winner. Who needs a veggie tray when you can whip these up in no time, and wow all your guests and friends?! Check back tomorrow for a kid-friendly, cheap, and super easy appetizer!
Happy Eating!
Wow you are so creative and genuis!
ReplyDeleteThose asparagus twist looks so elegant and sounds delightful.
I will make this in my party!!! Thanks for the idea :)
Wonderful idea. These look great. I have a sheet of puff pastry I need to finish (anything to make room for my abundant stash of holiday cool whip =))My only concern is what you mentioned w. the garlic salt in ensuring that they're packed with flavor. Would you do an olive oil/minced garlic rub?
ReplyDeletethe asparagus twists are so pretty, that's such a great idea! i think it will be fun to serve it for parties. no-mess-just-delicious goodness :)
ReplyDeleteThese are so lovely. What a fabulous idea for a nibble.
ReplyDeleteI worked with puff pastry sheets for the first time this Thanksgiving, and I have a LOT of leftovers. Good thing I'm obsessed with what they can do! This recipe looks great!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the comments! I'd love to hear how they turn out for you!
ReplyDelete@theveggie - I think an olive oil/minced garlic rub would do well. Since they are baked, the garlic should release good flavor during the cooking process.
I love this idea! I love asparagus, and the puff pastry adds a nice touch. I'll definitely keep this in mind for holiday parties!
ReplyDeleteHow festive!
ReplyDelete