Hmmmm.... look yummy....

Mushroom Turnovers

by Peg Cochran


This is a fun and elegant appetizer for a cocktail party.   I decided to make them for our friends' going-away party because I wanted to do something a little special.  They are retiring to North Carolina which is very sad except we will have someplace to spend next winter--just kidding Ann and Jim!


I stole this recipe from my mother-in-law--ssssh, don't tell her.  She is very possessive about her recipes, but I raided her recipe box when she was out of the kitchen and scribbled this down.


The turnovers are easy to make although they do take some time to roll and fill.  If you want to make them ahead of time, freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and when they are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag.  No need to defrost them--just bake them a little longer.


One glitch is that I forgot to write down the oven temperature.  I baked them at 350, and they took much longer to get golden than they should have.  Next time I will try a 400 degree oven.  The pastry puffs up very nicely and the mushroom filling is delicious.


The recipe calls for making 3 inch rounds.  Mine are a little smaller because I wanted these to be more bite-sized.  Also, there is more mushroom filling than you need but you can get creative with it and perhaps use it as a filling for an omelet.

Ingredients

3 3-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter softened

1.5 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt


Filling


3 TBL butter

1 large onion, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1/4 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp salt and pepper

2 TBL flour

1/4 cup sour cream

Pastry:  Blend cream cheese and butter.

Add flour, salt and work until smooth.  Gather into a ball and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick and cut into 3 inch rounds (Hint: it's easier to roll out if you divide the dough into quarters.  Keep dough you are not using in the fridge to stay chilled.)

Filling:  Heat butter and cook onion until soft.  Add chopped mushrooms and cook 3 minutes.  I chopped my mushrooms in the food processor so the pieces are very small.

Add seasonings, sprinkle with flour and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in sour cream and cook until thickened.  Let cool slightly before filling pastries.

Place approximately one tsp of filling on each round  Fold over and crimp.  Place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Celebrate!

Just out--the third book in my Gourmet De-Lite series featuring Gigi Fitzgerald.

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