Home Cooked Thoughts

I now abhor the word “easy” when it is attached to a recipe.  Dave and I were recently invited to a surprise birthday party and many people were offering to bring dishes to share.  We felt the need to participate in this way so I researched some easy appetizers so I could whip something up.  I found the recipe for Mushroom Puffs and immediately got excited because it looked yummy, sounded yummy, and had so few ingredients … had to be “easy,” right?

Wrong!!!  These things were a pain in the butt!  The mixture was easy enough … cream cheese, chopped onion, mushrooms, and a touch of hot sauce … blended.  I was to put them on croissants from the tube.  The instructions were to unroll the croissants and leave two together forming a rectangle, pinch the seam so it wouldn’t open while baking, spread the mushroom mixture on top and roll, jelly roll style, cut into 5ths, place and bake.  You’re probably wondering why it was a pain …

There was too much mixture, the seam doesn’t seal with a pinch, and the mixture oozes out while baking until you’re left with a mushroom flavored, oddly shaped mound of pastry with greyish cheese bubbling beside it.  I tried refrigerating the dough before cutting, I tried lying them different ways on the pan, and I tried cutting them into bite size pieces hoping there would be less ooze and more cohesiveness.  After the first pan came out of the oven David looked at me coyly and said, “These are for us to eat aren’t they?” knowing I wouldn’t be bringing them to the party.  When the second pan came out of the oven David very quietly said, “We aren’t bringing anything to the party, are we?”  I responded by dumping the pans contents into the trash can, turning off the oven, and walking away.

If you are one of those people thinking I should have handled this situation better … I challenge you to make a new recipe, breastfeed your child, bathe your child, pack up for your first party with your new child, ensure that you look somewhat presentable even though you haven’t been to a salon in months and you still don’t fit in any of your clothes comfortably … all in a matter of a couple of hours (perhaps less).  I digress.

I did recover and I did figure out a tasty solution.  I kept the mushroom mixture I did not use the day of the party and I purchased some puff pastry – a dough I am familiar with and enjoy using.  I did not attempt jelly roll style … instead I cut the dough into squares, placed a heaping spoonful of the mixture in the middle, used an egg wash to seal the dough and made little ravioli shaped puffs, used an egg wash to make them glisten, topped with a little sea salt … and David and I enjoyed a nice afternoon treat.

Someone needs to invite me over and ask me to bring a dish … I know what I’m bringing!