Today we have a fantastic recipe from Emily from My Love for Words for Caprese Bites! These look so amazing!!!
Hello, Beauty through Imperfection! It’s Emily from My Love for Words again, and I’m excited to be back to share one of my favorite appetizers with you.
When it comes to eating at home with my family (or dining at Medieval Times), I don’t mind messy foods. Hosting a party, however, is a different story. I love offering lots of different finger foods and appetizers, but I don’t really enjoy appetizers that are more than one or two bites, and if they require utensils… fuhgettaboutit.
These Caprese Bites are a hand held version of the usually messy, utensils required dish that’s offered in many Italian restaurants. I love it in restaurants, but it doesn’t lend itself to an easy to eat party food. The solution? Puff Pastry! In my head right now, puff pastry is swooping down out of the sky, cape and all, to save the day. Alright, enough of my jabbering… let’s get to the recipe!
What you’ll need (the following list makes 36 individual bites):
- 1 sheet of Puff Pastry
- 18 cherry tomatoes
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional)
- Fresh Basil (not optional!) :)
This recipe can actually be served warm or cold. The cold version is more in keeping with the original dish, and gives a stronger flavor punch, but both are tasty.
First, you’ll want to allow your puff pastry to defrost on the counter until manageable, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Be careful not to let it get too warm though because it will be difficult (if not impossible) to unfold if it does. I may or may not have learned this lesson the hard way.
Next, unfold the puff pastry sheet and spread it flat. Cut into six strips vertically and horizontally, which will give you 36 individual squares. A pizza cutter makes this go really fast, and don’t worry about all of the square being the exact same size. You can trim or add to pieces as necessary, and no one will be the wiser.
Put one dough square in each of the wells of a mini cupcake pan, and then put them in the oven for 6 minutes.
They will have started to puff up at this point. Use the end of a wooden spoon and push down the middle of each square.
Put them back in the oven for another 6 minutes, and while they’re cooking get out your other ingredients.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and remove the centers. The seeds and juices will quickly water down the puff pastry if left intact.
Once the puff pastry is done, remove it from the oven and (Warning: technical cooking term ahead) resmoosh the centers if necessary.
Place 1/2 a cherry tomato on each puff pastry square, and top it with a chunk of mozzarella cheese (about the size of a nickle), and add some small pieces of fresh basil. Pour a couple drops of balsamic vinegar on top, and you’re done!
For the warm version, you can either pop these back into the oven until the cheese melts a little or even roast the cherry tomatoes before assembling. For the warm version, I roasted the tomatoes in a lined baking sheet with a little olive oil. salt, and pepper in the same oven as the cooking puff pastry. I’d recommend trying both the warm and cold versions to see which you prefer.
- 1 sheet of Puff Pastry
- 18 cherry tomatoes
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional)
- Fresh Basil
- allow your puff pastry to defrost on the counter until manageable, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Be careful not to let it get too warm though because it will be difficult (if not impossible) to unfold if it does. I may or may not have learned this lesson the hard way.
- Next, unfold the puff pastry sheet and spread it flat. Cut into six strips vertically and horizontally, which will give you 36 individual squares. A pizza cutter makes this go really fast, and don’t worry about all of the square being the exact same size. You can trim or add to pieces as necessary, and no one will be the wiser.
- Put one dough square in each of the wells of a mini cupcake pan, and then put them in the oven for 6 minutes.
- They will have started to puff up at this point. Use the end of a wooden spoon and push down the middle of each square.
- Put them back in the oven for another 6 minutes, and while they’re cooking get out your other ingredients.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and remove the centers. The seeds and juices will quickly water down the puff pastry if left intact.
- Once the puff pastry is done, remove it from the oven and (Warning: technical cooking term ahead) resmoosh the centers if necessary.
- Place 1/2 a cherry tomato on each puff pastry square, and top it with a chunk of mozzarella cheese (about the size of a nickle), and add some small pieces of fresh basil. Pour a couple drops of balsamic vinegar on top, and you’re done!
I hope you give this a try and love it as much as I do, and I’d love for you to stop by my blog My Love for Words and find me on facebook for more recipes, fun link parties, and lots of free printables!
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