Asparagus, Brie & Prosciutto Puff Pastry

Ingredients

Takes approximately 30-40 minutes
Makes 18 appetizers

2 – Puff pastry sheets (thawed)
~40 – Asparagus stalks
9 – Prosciutto slices
18 – Brie slices (not too big)
1 – Egg (for egg wash)

Avocado oil, salt & pepper to taste (for asparagus)
Everything but the Bagel seasoning

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a [baking pan] or [cookie sheet] with [vegetable shortening] or [avocado oil] (or [spray]).

Thaw 2 sheets of [puff pastry]. Cut each sheet into 9 equal squares. Turn the square diagonal (so it makes a diamond shape). On the right-hand side of the diamond near the corner, cut a small slit (don’t cut all the way to the edges). This slit will be used later to bind the corners together while you are folding up the pastry.

Wash and dry the [asparagus]. Cut off the hard ends. Cut the asparagus in half. Place asparagus into a mixing bowl and drizzle with [avocado oil], salt and pepper to taste. Toss until the asparagus is well coated.

Cut the 9 [prosciutto slices] in half. You will use 1/2 slice for each pastry (or you can use full slices if you’d like).

Thinly slice a [brie wedge] into 18 slices. Your slices shouldn’t be too thin here, nor too thick. Lengthwise, they should be no longer than the diagonal of your pastry square. Some rind here is fine (for extra “brie flavor”).

Directions

Place a pastry square in front of you in a diamond shape with the slit on the right-hand side. Place a piece of prosciutto on the pastry, making sure it does not cover the slit. Next, place 4-5 pieces of asparagus such that the tips of the asparagus are facing toward the top corner of the the pastry. Note that the asparagus should be parallel with the slit. Top it off with a slice of brie, laying it in the same direction as you did the asparagus.

To fold the appetizer, pick up the left-hand corner and lay it over the top of the contents. Now pick up the right-hand corner and lay it over the left-hand corner. Some stretching of the pastry is expected during this process, but make sure not to tear the pastry (especially near the slit). If you are concerned about tearing, reduce the number of asparagus pieces. To hold the pastry in place, pull the left-hand corner through the slit near the right-hand corner (which should now be opened somewhat as a result of the stretching). Gently press the dough to secure it in place.

Apply a coating of egg wash to the top of the puff pastry and sprinkle it with some Everything but the Bagel seasoning. Place in the baking pan / cookie sheet.

Cooking

Bake on the middle rack for 10-20 minutes (check every 10 minutes) or until the pastry is golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and place on a [cooling rack] (or other cool surface, like a plate). Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving (unless you want to burn the roof of your mouth with molten brie lava).