Appetizers are to a party what a water cooler is to an office. People stand around them, making small talk, clutching their drinks for the sole purpose of having something to do with their hands.
“How about that *local sports team*?” “How about these appies?”
Both scenarios require small talk between people who may or may not know each other very well. And while not everyone appreciates sports talk, everyone appreciates appetizer talk. Who doesn’t love hors d’oeuvres? Good or bad, people talk about the appies.
The best kind of appetizer is one that doesn’t require two hands. If you have drink in one hand, the best you can do with the other is holding a napkin while you hungrily grab for the snacks. The ease of the grab-and-eat is necessary; nobody likes fiddling with little plates or spoons.
Today’s little bite-sized snacks are one-hand-friendly. Flakey puff pastry bites filled with mashed yam, fresh rosemary, honey, and the crunch of fresh pomegranate arils. They pack a lot of flavour in such a tiny snack.
Making these in a mini-muffin tray ensures they stay small in size.
Roll out your puff pastry and cut into 24 2-inch squares, lining the cups of a mini muffin tray with each square. Roast the yam with a generous dash of salt, pepper, paprika, and olive oil. Mash the tender yam with some honey, and mix in fresh rosemary and pomegranate arils, and fill each muffin cup with a scoop of the yam filling. Fold over the tops of the puff pastry, housing the filling. Give the top of the dough a little pinch, so it stays together when baking. Lightly baste with an egg to get the crispy, browned exterior. Bake for 20 minutes, and serve.
Little autumn bites made for snacking.
These are best served warm, ideally fresh from the oven. If you have time to prepare them ahead of time, assemble them in the muffin tray and store in the fridge until ready to bake. When guests arrive, baste the tops with the egg and pop into a preheated oven.
Having said that, though, they can also be simply reheated in the oven, or served cold. I really enjoyed them the day after, once they had sat in the fridge for the night.
Isn’t it crazy that November is just around the corner? Pretty soon our calendars will start filling up with dinner parties, Christmas parties, and other holiday celebrations.
Whether you’re hosting one or just attending, one thing we can all agree on is that the food will be most appreciated.
| Mini Yam & Pomegranate Puff Pastry Bites | Print |
- 3 cups yam, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Paprika
- 3 Tbsp honey
- ¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ cup pomegranate arils, plus more for topping
- 397g puff pastry (Tenderflake, 2 pack), thawed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Lay the yam pieces on the baking tray and drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil. Sprinkle on some salt, pepper, and paprika, to taste, and toss with your hands to evenly coat. Bake for 20-30 minutes until yam is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven to cool slightly.
- Decrease oven temperature to 350°F. Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin tray; set aside.
- Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface; take one square off the puff pastry and roll out into a 6x8" rectangle. Slice that rectangle into three long strips, then slice those strips into 4 pieces. You should have twelve 2-inch squares. Place each square in the muffin cups, pressing down the sides to form little cups. Repeat for the second square of puff pastry, filling the muffin tin completely.
- In a large bowl, toss together the roasted yam, honey, rosemary, and pomegranate arils. Add more seasoning, to taste, if desired. Divide the mixture into each muffin cup, then fold over the tops to house the filling. Lightly baste the tops with an egg.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until puff pastry has browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle with more pomegranate arils, if desired.
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