Stovepipe Savory Pastries

Recipe by Susan Reid

These make-ahead, bake when you need them appetizers can be filled any number of ways (choose one or more fillings from the options below), and are as tasty as they are elegant.

Prep
1 hr
Bake
15 to 18 mins
Total
1 hr 15 mins
Yield
4 dozen pastries
Stovepipe Savory Pastries

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
  1. To make the mushroom filling: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're translucent. Add the ground mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid. Continue cooking until the mixture is dry, then add the sherry, herbs, and Worcestershire sauce.

  2. Cook once again until the mixture is dry, then stir in the cream cheese. Taste and season, then remove from the heat and cool completely before using to fill the pastry. This amount is enough to fill about 20 pastries.

  3. To make the spinach filling: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the spinach and bread crumbs, and stir until evenly combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses and pine nuts; taste and adjust the seasoning, then cool completely before using to fill the pastries. Yield: 3 cups, enough to fill the full batch of pastry dough.

  4. To assemble the pastries: Divide the dough into four equal rectangles. Keep the unused portions in the refrigerator. On a floured work surface, roll 1/4 of the dough into a 5" x 13" rectangle. Trim the sides and ends to make straight lines; save these scraps to re-roll for the bottoms.

  5. Form the filling of your choice into a rope about 3/4" in diameter. Place the filling down the center of the rectangle. Wet one of the long edges with some water, and roll the other toward it to enclose the filling. Wrap the roll and freeze for 30 to 40 minutes while you roll and fill the rest of the dough.

  6. Collect all the scraps and pile them on top of each other. Roll out once more, and cut 4 dozen 1" circles, re-rolling the scraps as necessary. Put the circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate.

  7. Take the filled rolls out of the freezer (they should be semi-frozen and firm by now); cut each one into 12 pieces. Take the circles out of the refrigerator and brush with water or a beaten egg. Place each piece of filled dough over a circle, pressing down to seal. At this point you can refrigerate your stovepipes for up to 24 hours, or freeze them and use from the freezer as you need them.

  8. To bake: Place as many of the pastries as you need on a parchment-lined baking sheet while you preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving (the filling will be very hot).

Tips from our Bakers

  • This recipe is designed to give you at least two flavor options (three if you choose to do sausage). If you use only part of the spinach filling, consider using the rest as a pizza topping; or freeze it to use later.
  • For a sausage-filled pastry, use the bulk sausage of your choice (Italian, breakfast, chorizo, etc.), and roll it (raw) into a rope like the other fillings. There will be a little more fat draining out when you bake them, but a quick stop on absorbent paper before serving will take care of that.
  • Looking for other pastry options? Choose one based on what you're looking for:

    • Blitz Puff Pastry: The traditional "rough puff" dough, where the butter is added to dry ingredients and a series of folds ensures lots of layers in the final product. 
    • Flaky Pastry: A cross between puff pastry and pie dough, this recipe uses both butter and lard (or shortening) and is especially nice when used as a tart crust.
    • Rye Puff Pastry: Slightly nutty from the rye flour, this pastry is ultra-tender and ivory in color.

    • Or for a more advanced option, try making the "inverse puff pastry" used as a base in our Maple Cream Napoleons.