Snacky Leftovers

Tools for some mysterious job? Martian food? A newly discovered life form?

Naw.

Remember the pastry I used to make the Apple Hearts? This is what's left after you cut a dozen hearts out of a sheet of puff pastry. The package insert said I could make savory bread sticks out of the leftovers by combining and re-rolling the pastry but I thought the quirky shapes would be even more fun.

I spread them out on a piece of parchment paper over a baking sheet, tucking back any really thin ends so they'd bake evenly, and sprinkled them with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a little savory, salty taste. Each one got an additional topping - some were topped with freshly ground pepper for My Beloved who adores pepper and the rest got a bit of Herbes de Provence, my sprinkle of choice. I patted the toppings down gently into the pastry to make sure they would stick, then slid the sheet into a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until they were puffed and browned.

Light as air and nicely savory, I'd make these again in a heartbeat - they'd make a tasty and very easy hors d'oeuvre that wouldn't fill people up before the main event. They don't keep very well, however. I put them into a plastic bag without refrigerating them and they were a little flat tasting the next day. You'd do well to refresh them with a few minutes in the oven if you've kept them overnight, after which they are again crisp and light, but be careful not to burn the bottoms.