A simple but sophisticated starter: Puff pastry squares are topped with a bright spring mixture of asparagus spears, fresh shiitakes, and crème fraîche.
Ingredients
Makes 8
Step 1
Roll out each pastry sheet on work surface to 10-inch square. Cut each into 4 squares. Using small knife, score 1/2-inch border (do not cut through pastry) around inside edges of each square. Arrange squares on 2 rimmed baking sheets. DO AHEAD:Can be made 1 day ahead.Cover and chill.
Step 2
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to large bowl; cool 15 minutes. Add asparagus, chopped thyme, lemon peel, 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to mushrooms. Mix in crème fraîche and cheese. DO AHEAD:Filling can be made 1 day ahead.Cover; chill.
Step 3
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Mound filling atop pastry squares, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.
Step 4
Bake tarts 12 minutes. Reverse sheets. Continue to bake tarts until crusts are puffed and golden and filling is cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer to plates; garnish with thyme sprigs.
Step 5
- Sold at most supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.
Leave a Review
Reviews (60)
Back to TopEveryone absolutely loves this!! I wonder if there is a substitute for the mushrooms?? I have found many people do not like or are allergic.. *note: for those getting sogginess.. don't cook your mushrooms with a lid on the pot.. this sweats the mushrooms and extracts the liquid.. cook them with butter in an open frying pan to close in the liquid and brow them slightly.
Mannny456
6/8/2021
这佤邦s good and relatively easy. I did not have creme fraiche so I used sour cream. Two suggestions: 1) if you are making a starter, cut each of the pastry sheets into 8. Otherwise, they are closer to a lunch-entree portion; 2) this may have seemed obvious to others but it wasn't for me, I think you really need to drain the majority of the liquid from the mushrooms before transferring it to the bowl. Otherwise, it really is, as one reviewer put it, a soggy mess. I ended up using a slotted spoon when filling the pastry squares but will drain the mushrooms next time.
dai11
3/11/2018
I made these a few years ago as an hors d'oeuvre for Easter get together. It easy to make and delicious!! Highly recommended
MauraCasey
Wilton, CT
3/22/2015
These are delicious and easy to make. My foodie friends at book group raved, and my foodie 16 year-old daughter thinks they're fantastic. Now those are good recommendations!
Anonymous
Malibu, CA
11/3/2014
这佤邦s a soggy mess.
ejshus
NY, NY
7/8/2014
I make these in small puff pastry cups, just cutting the asparagus and mushrooms into small pieces. I also like to use baby bellas rather than shitaki mushrooms. Great passed appetizer.
Kcrowe5
Providence, RI
6/12/2014
Easy to make, pretty, and darn tasty to boot.
TastyMcNoms
5/19/2014
They look beautiful and tasted alright, just not my favorite. Very quick and easy though, which is nice.
marysevier
Knoxville, TN
4/20/2014
sour cream
cooking_is_fun
12/14/2013
I know this sounds crazy, but I had all the ingredients except for the pastry so I just cooked all the veggies and they were awesome. Can't wait to try it with pastry.
joanhb
Chicago, IL
11/1/2012
We used a combination of shiitake and baby bellas which was lovely. Since we had leftovers, we were very happy to find they reheat perfectly at 400 degrees for 5 minutes with the crust once again beautifully crisp on the edges.
mrichon1
Washington, DC
9/11/2012
I made this with oregano instead of thyme, baby bella instead of shiitake, and a mix of Appenzeller and Grana Padano cheeses instead of Gruyere. I also suspect I used rather less of the creme fraiche since I didn't measure anything. I also didn't wait 15 min before stirring everything into the freshly sautéed mushrooms, nor did I do any rotation of the baking sheets in the oven. Despite all the departures from the recipe, this came out SO good that the entire batch was gone in about 20 min. I was looking for a tasty departure from my asparagus-season salads and this definitely was it. The asparagus remained perfectly crisp, and the mushrooms were rich and tasty. Definitely making again.
icexpat
Iceland, Germany
6/14/2012
Made these for two different Easter celebrations. I was quite surprised by the positive comments. Everyone loved them. I made the recipe as stated although I did not measure the cheese exactly so may have included a bit more. Everything blended so well. I made these in small muffin pans and got 32 appetizer-size tarts. Cooked for 22 minutes. I also chopped the mushrooms and asparagus to a small dice. The end result was easy to eat and looked so professional.
SEBCooks
San Jose, CA
4/9/2012
These tasted good, were easy to make,and best of all looked fancy! I cut the puff pastry into smaller squares and made these using a mini-muffin tin. It was a perfect appetizer for a baby shower. When I make this again I'll probably use baby bellas or crimini mushrooms rather than shitakes. The asparagus and puff pastry flavors dominated so you weren't really able to taste the delicate shitake flavor.
shrushanti
Tulsa, OK
12/5/2011
这佤邦s exceptional as written, and has gotten rave reviews every time I've made it! I've substituted parmesan for gruyere, and cut the pastry smaller for an appetizer size as well. If you make smaller sizes you'll have leftover mushroom-asparagus filling -- this is EXCELLENT stirred into good ol' macaroni and cheese (add a little extra liquid and let steam for a few minutes to cook the asparagus).
Anonymous
Seattle
9/21/2011
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