Best Croustades Recipes

BREAD CUP MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Bread Cup: Preheat oven to 400°F Cut a 2-3 inch round from each bread slice. Gently fit bread rounds into each mold of a mini-mufin pan to form a cup. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and set aside.
• Filling: In a heavy skillet, saute shallots in butter for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and simmer, uncovered until all liquid has evaporated; about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir flour into mushrooms. Pour cream over and return to heat.
• Stirring constantly, bring to boil and cook another minute or so while mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until cool.
• Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F Fill cups with mixture and sprinkle with minced parsley and parmesan cheese of desired. Bake 10 minutes on ungreased baking sheet.
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• NOTE: Appetizers can be made in advance and then frozen for future use. Follow the Bread cup and Filling directions above. Freeze the filled cups in the mini-muffin pan. Once frozen, you can place them in plastic bags for easier storage. When you remove them from the freezer, allow to thaw completely before baking them.

MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

Steps:

• For Croustade:
• Use a rolling pin to flatten each bread slice. Cut 3" (18 small) or 4" (12 large) rounds and gently fit into small or large muffin tins.
• Bake for 10 - 15 minutes at 425 or until golden and crisp. Cool on wire racks.
• Filling:.
• Melt butter in a large skillet and saute green onions for several minutes without browning.
• Stir in the mushrooms and mix well. Cook 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until moisture has evaporated.
• Remove from heat, sprinkle with flour and stir to coat the mushrooms.
• Gradually add the cream and return to heat.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and then reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until thick.
• Stir in all the other ingredients.
• Transfer filling to a bowl, cover it and refrigerate until ready to use.
• To Serve:.
• Place croustade on cookie sheet and fill each croustade with mushroom filling so that it is slightly mounded.
• Sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese and dot with butter.
• Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and then turn to broil and brown the tops lightly.
• Serve hot.

CROUSTADES WITH DUXELLES

Steps:

• Croustades: with a pastry brush, coat the inside of two miniature muffin pans (24 total muffins) with the melted butter.
• With a plain or fluted 2 1/2" cutter, cut rounds from the 24 slices of bread; carefully fit them into the muffin tins, pushing the center of the bread into the well and gently molding them around the bottom of the tin Push the tops of the bread rounds into petal shapes; each bread round should form a little cup Bake the croustades at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until they brown slightly on the rims, then remove them from the tins and let them cool.
• Duxelles: In a heavy 10-inch skillet, slowly melt the butter; add the shallots, stir them and cook over moderate heat for about 4 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and stir thoroughly to coat them with butter In a few minutes, they will begin to give up a good deal of moisture Stir them from time to time and continue to cook until all the moisture has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes; remove pan from heat; cool slightly.
• Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir until not a trace of flour is visible; pour in the cream.
• Put pan back on heat and stir constantly while bringing to a boil; simmer 5 minutes Remove from heat; add salt, parsley, chives and lemon juice.
• Cool filling.
• Use a small spoon or a decorating bag to fill the croustades, mounding the filling slightly; sprinkle each one with a little bit of parmesan cheese.
• Before serving, heat the croustades at 350° for about 10 minutes.

JAM-FILLED CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Dough: In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over milk; stir until dissolved. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla seeds. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment, mix together 4 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and 1/2 stick butter on low speed until butter is incorporated and mixture resembles coarse meal, 3 to 4 minutes. Add yeast mixture; mix until dough just comes together. Add eggs and yolk; mix until just combined, 2 to 3 minutes (do not overmix).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, making sure to include any loose bits left at bottom of bowl. Gently knead to form a smooth ball, about 30 seconds. Wrap tightly in plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together remaining 3 1/2 sticks butter and 2 tablespoons flour. Shape mixture into a 12-by-10-inch rectangle on a piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate 15 minutes or up to 1 day. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, a little over 1/4 inch thick, keeping the corners as square as possible. Remove any excess flour with a dry pastry brush. Remove butter mixture from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until it is the same consistency as the dough. With a short side facing you, place butter mixture over two-thirds of the dough. Fold the unbuttered third over as you would a business letter, followed by the remaining third. This seals in the butter.
• Roll out dough again to an 18-by-10-inch rectangle, then fold into thirds as described above; refrigerate 1 hour. This completes the first of three turns. Repeat rolling and folding process two more times, refrigerating at least 1 hour between turns. To help you remember how many turns have been completed, mark the dough after each one: make one mark for the first turn, two for the second, and three for the third.
• Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Dough can also be frozen, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 2 weeks (thaw in refrigerator overnight before using).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 20-by-16-inch rectangle, trimming edges if necessary. Using a ruler, cut into twenty 4-inch squares and transfer to one of three parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving an even amount of space between squares until you have two sheets with 7 squares each, and one sheet with 6 squares.
• Working with one square at a time, fold in half to form a triangle. Using a sharp pizza wheel, make a cut parallel to one of the short sides of the triangle, about 1/4 inch from the edge, stopping about 1/8 inch from the opposite short side. Make a second cut parallel to the opposite short side, about 1/4 inch from the edge, stopping about 1/8 inch from the first line. (Make sure lines do not meet.) Unfold triangle back into a square and brush egg wash along edges. Fold outer cut corners over to opposite inside corners. Press borders down to seal. Repeat with remaining squares. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill center of each square with 1 tablespoon jam, then lightly brush dough with egg wash. Bake, rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely. Pastries are best served the same day.

FIG AND RASPBERRY CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Make the Croustades: Place dough on a lightly floured work surface; lightly flour dough. Using a rolling pin, press the dough firmly in parallel strokes close to one another. Continue pressing with rolling pin, adding a pinch of flour to dough between strokes, until dough becomes more malleable.
• Continue rolling dough back and forth without rolling over the ends (which may make ends thinner and stick to surface). Turn dough 90 degrees, and continue rolling in the other direction; roll dough, changing directions as necessary, into a 15 1/2-inch square. Carefully transfer dough to a large baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap; transfer to refrigerator and chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Using a sharp pizza wheel, trim edges of dough and cut into nine 5-inch squares. Fold each square of dough, corner to corner, to form a triangle. Using the pizza wheel, make a cut over the fold on both sides about 1/2 inch from the edge of the triangle.
• Unfold triangles back into squares. Pierce the inner squares at 1/2-inch intervals using the tines of a fork. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and salt; brush inner squares lightly with egg mixture.
• Fold the outer corners of each square over to the opposite inside corners, one at a time.
• Using a floured fingertip, press the borders down and indent the sides of each croustade at 1/4-inch intervals with the dull side of a paring knife. Place croustades on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, or cover and chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in the center of the oven. Bake croustades until well risen and deep golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove croustades from baking sheet and remove some of the puff pastry layers from the center by loosening the sides of the inner squares with a fork and lifting out, also removing any unbaked dough in the process. If you would like to use the removed layers as covers for the filling, return them to baking sheets along with the croustades; return to oven until centers have cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the Creme Anglaise: In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil over low heat. Meanwhile, set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl; set medium bowl in a larger bowl prepared with an ice-water bath. Whisk yolks in another medium bowl.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove vanilla bean, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick from boiling milk mixture; discard. Whisk 1/3 of the milk mixture into the bowl with egg yolks. Return remaining milk mixture to a boil and, while whisking, gradually add egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly, about 15 seconds.
• Remove from heat and pour through strainer set over prepared bowl. Continue whisking mixture until it cools slightly, about 30 seconds. Let stand until completely cooled. Transfer creme anglaise to an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to use. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
• Make the Fig and Raspberry Filling: Stem, peel, and chop figs, reserving 5 whole figs to finish croustades, and place them in a large bowl. Add raspberries, reserving 18 to finish croustades. Cover and set aside at room temperature. This can be done up to 1 day in advance.
• Heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Let jam reduce slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool for at least 15 minutes.
• Fold the cooled jam into the fig and raspberry mixture. Place croustades on individual plates. Spoon the mixture into the center of each croustade. Halve remaining figs; top each croustade with a fig half, cut side up, and reserved raspberries. Spoon some of the creme anglaise onto the plate and serve immediately.

CROUSTADES OF RED PEPPERS WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the broiler and broil the peppers on a baking sheet until black and blistery, turning them to cook evenly. Once they're blackened on all sides, fasten them in a plastic bag so they steam and the skin is loosened. Leave the broiler alight. When the peppers are cool, slip off their charred skins with your fingers. Don't worry about leaving a few flecks of black - it adds flavor. Cut the peppers in half and then in strips, discarding the cores and seeds.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions with the thyme, salt, and pepper until soft and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until golden. Add the tomatoes and capers and cook, stirring often until the tomatoes are cooked and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the peppers and continue cooking until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Oil a baking sheet and set it aside. Toast the bread and arrange the pepper mixture on top. Slice the cheese and put the slices on the peppers. Broil the croustades on the baking sheet until the cheese is lightly browned and the edges are melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.

QUICK PUFF PASTRY FOR FIG AND RASPBERRY CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Cut 1 cup (2 sticks) butter into 1/4-inch cubes. Place in an even layer on a plate and transfer to refrigerator to chill.
• Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut remaining 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter into thin slices and add to bowl. Rub in the butter, squeezing it with your fingertips, rubbing the butter and flour mixture between the palms of your hands and reaching down to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat process until flour and butter are evenly mixed; this should only take a couple of minutes and the mixture should remain cool and powdery. Alternatively, pulse flour, salt, and 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter in the bowl of a food processor until no visible pieces of butter remain; transfer to a large bowl.
• Add chilled butter cubes to bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold them into flour mixture.
• Reserving 2 tablespoons of the cold water, pour remaining water into bowl. Using a spatula, fold water into flour mixture, scraping from the bottom of the bowl upward. If the mixture still has a lot of dry, unmoistened flour, add reserved water, 1 tablespoon at a time, repeating folding process.
• Scrape dough from bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour dough and, using your hands, squeeze and shape dough into a cylinder. Press down to flatten into a rectangle.
• Starting at the narrow end furthest away from you, use a rolling pin to press the dough firmly in parallel strokes close to one another. If there are sticky pieces of butter on the surface, cover with a large pinch of flour and press with the rolling pin to combine. Clean off the rolling pin as you go to make sure nothing sticks to the dough. Continue pressing with the rolling pin, working toward the narrow end closest to you.
• Press the dough once along the width; it should now be a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Flour under and on top of the dough and roll dough away and back toward you in the length and once in the width, without rolling over the ends, to make a rectangle about 18 inches long and 8 inches wide.
• Fold the two 8-inch ends in toward the middle of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch space in the middle. Fold the bottom up to the top to form 4 layers of dough. Turn the dough so that the folded edge, which should resemble the spine on a book, is on your left.
• Repeat rolling and folding process (steps 6, 7, and 8) two more times. Wrap dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 3 days, before using.

SAUSAGE CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Remove crusts from bread; reserve for another use.
• With rolling pin, lightly roll slices to flatten.
• Press into lightly buttered muffin cups to form cups with 4 points.
• Brush lightly and sparingly with melted butter.
• Bake in 375f degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until light golden.
• (Toasted cups can be made ahead and stored in plastic bags in refriferator for up to 4 days. Return them to muffin cups before filling and baking.) In skillet, heat remaining butter over medium heat; cook onion and garlic (if using), stirring occasionally.
• Add mushrooms and sausage; cook,stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink.
• Add flour, salt, thyme, marjoram and pepper.
• Stir until flour is blended with drippings.
• Add cream and lemon juice; cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until mixture thickens.
• Taste and add more salt, thyme or marjoram, if necessary.
• Spoon sausage mixture into toasted cups and sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Bake in 375f degree oven for 5 to7 minutes or until heated through.

BOMB SHELTER CROUSTADES

Steps:

• First, make the croustades: generously butter small muffin tins, then cut a 3-inch round from each slice of bread and carefully fit into the muffin tins.
• Bake in preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes, or until rims are lightly browned; remove from tins and cool (may be frozen at this point).
• Now make filling.
• In a skillet, melt butter, then saute onions and mushrooms; stir and cook until all the moisture is evaporated.
• Sprinkle with flour, then stir thoroughly.
• Add cream, stirring constantly until it boils.
• Add wine, reduce heat, and simmer a few minutes longer.
• Remove from heat; stir in salt, cayenne, parsley and green onion.
• Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate until needed.
• To serve, preheat oven to 350F; spoon mushroom filling into croustades; lightly sprinkle with parmesan and place on cookie sheet.
• Heat in oven for 10 minutes, then put briefly under the broiler.

MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

Steps:

• 1. Cut a 2 1/2 inch circle from each slice of bread. Press each circle into a lightly greased muffin cup. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• 2. Heat margarine in skillet over medium heat until melted. Add shallots and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms. Cook for 15 minutes longer or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in the flour. Add cream. Cook until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly.
• 3. Remove from heat. Stir in chives, parsley, lemon juice, salt, red pepper and black pepper. Put bread cups in shallow baking pan. Spoon mushroom mixture into cups. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Garnish with sour cream and additional snipped chives. May freeze cooled wrapped bread cups until needed. Serves 12 Secret Ingredients

MUSHROOM CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 400 Coat muffin tins and place rounds into tin Cook bread for 10 mins Chop shallots and mushrooms Melt butter and sauté. Remove from heat and sprinkle flour over and stir. Heat with heavy cream and stir continuously until boil. Reduce to simmer and cook 1-2 mins. Remove from heat and stir in herbs and seasonings. Refrigerate Fill cups and sprinkle with parm cheese and dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 10 mins and slip under broiler. Serve.

APPLE CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Stir sugar and 2 Tbsp. water in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, swirling pan frequently, until caramel is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately whisk in butter. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and stir well. Add apples to pan; stir to coat.Return skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft but not mushy, about 10 minutes (don't stir often). Remove from heat. Add brandy, if using, lemon juice, and salt; toss to coat. Spread out filling on a large rimmed baking sheet; let cool completely. DO AHEAD Filling can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Preheat oven to 375°. Butter muffin cups and dust with flour. Set aside. Unroll phyllo and place on a work surface. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, then with a damp kitchen towel. Carefully transfer 1 sheet phyllo pastry to a clean work surface. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush a thin layer of melted butter onto pastry, then sprinkle with generous 1 tsp. sugar. Top with another sheet of phyllo. Brush with butter and sprinkle with generous 1 tsp. sugar. Repeat 1 more time with phyllo, butter, and sugar for a total of 3 layers of phyllo. Cut layered phyllo sheets lengthwise in half, then cut each half crosswise into 2 rectangles for a total of 4 rectangles; set aside. Repeat layering and cutting 2 more times for a total of 12 rectangles. Working with 1 rectangle at a time, arrange phyllo pastry in muffin cups, gently pressing onto bottom and up sides, being careful not to tear phyllo. Fill each pastry with 1/4 cup apple filling, mounding in center. Gather edges of phyllo together above filling to form a purse. Bake croustades, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown on top and bottom (use a small offset spatula to lift up croustade to check), 27-35 minutes.Let cool slightly.Dust with sugar. Serve w/ ice cream.

ARTICHOKE CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Roll each bread slice flat with a rolling pin and trim it to form a 2 1/2-inch square. Brush both sides of the squares lightly with the butter and fit the squares gently into 1/8-cup muffin tins (gem tins), pressing the bread against the sides of the tins. Bake the croustades in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden. The croustades may be made 2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container.
• In a bowl stir together the artichoke hearts, the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of the scallion, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste, divide the mixture by heaping teaspoons among the croustades, and sprinkle the remaining tablespoons Parmesan on top. Broil the croustades under a preheated broiler about 6 inches from the heat, being careful not to let the croustades edges burn, for 1 minute, or until the filling is bubbling. Garnish the croustades with the scallion greens and arrange 3 of them on each of 6 heated small plates.

CRAB "CROUSTADES" FLAVORS OF CAPE COD

Steps:

• Roll out a sheet of puff pastry to about 10" by 10". Using miniature muffin pans, press 2" by 2" squares into each muffin space. (Pastry will stick up like envelope flaps) Heat butter, saute' onion, then add crabmeat and saute' 1 minute. Add thyme, salt, pepper and sprinkle with flour. Stir in sour cream until mixture thickens. Add sherry or white wine. Fill puff pastry with this mixture.
• Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. After baking these can be cooled and frozen on a cookie sheet. Then can be packed in freezer bags for later. If reheating, heat for 25 minutes at @325

CROUSTADES

Steps:

• Butter tiny muffin tins Cut out rounds of very soft and thin white bread and gently push them into depressions. Bake until lightly toasted. Fill and bake til heated thru. (2 1/2" cutter.