Evercrisp Apple & Crab Puffs
You could very easily divide my life into two categories: food and everything else. Okay maybe three: food, friends and family, and everything else :). Ever since I can remember, cooking has been an integral part of who I am, and discovering new ingredients is one of the most exciting parts about it. While I’ve always LOVED making dishes that are sinful on the tastebuds, being health conscious has also been important. That’s why I’m so excited to share this new recipe with you. Created from fresh ingredients, including a new hybrid apple, this apple and crab puff is sure to be your favorite crowd-pleasing party appetizer this year.
My favorite apple has always been the Honeycrisp, because of its sweetness and the texture (it’s not grainy at all). I made a point when I started eating healthier to always have some around the house to dip in peanut butter as a healthy snack, and it made a big difference in the way I was able to tame my afternoon cravings. When I heard that there was a new apple on the market, with all the great qualities of the Honeycrisp, but with a touch more sweetness from the fuji, I had to try it. The Evercrisp apple is a hybrid between those two apples, and packs a serious flavor with that crunch.
There are so many snack / appetizer/ entertaining recipe ideas that you could incorporate these apples into. I tried a few, including this apple salsa (which I added mango to), and loved. You can grill them and make a panini, add them to your favorite pizza, wrap them in prosciutto, serve them simply with peanut butter, or take them to the next level with the recipe I’m about to show you :).
If you read my blog regularly you know I love to entertain. I also love coming up with bite size appetizers, and things that can be enjoyed as a light dinner with friends. Since I am on a fish kick and saw some beautiful king crab legs at the store, I thought why not play with textures and make these puff pastry, apple, and crab bites.
Not only are these gorgeous, but the textures worked so well together. The combination of the creme fraiche and king crab topping the crunchy Evercrisp apple add a beautiful layer of sweetness to the salty prosciutto and puff pastry.
I will say, using a fresh king crab leg added a touch more work than just using lump crab meat, but it was totally worth it.
The other nice part about this recipe is how easy it was to make. One box of puff pastry, one king crab leg, and one apple was able to make 24 of these very easily, with leftover dip.
(This is a sponsored post on behalf of Castle Wood Reserve. All opinions are completely my own, based on my own experience.)
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Evercrisp Apple & Crab Puffs
Ingredients
- 1 package of frozen puff pastry thawed
- 1/2 tsp. saffron threads
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 shallot minced
- 3/4 cup creme fraiche
- 1/2 lb. king crab leg meat
- 1 Evercrisp apple thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 1 lemon
- 4 thai peppers thinly sliced (optional to add a tiny kick)
- 5 slices of prosciutto cut into small squares
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley to garnish
- paprika just a dash to garnish
Instructions
- Thaw puff pastry up to 40 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Roll out puff pastry, and cut out circles using a knife. I cut 4 circles in each row of the folding, getting 12 out of each sheet. Lay out the circles of pastry onto the baking sheet, cover with a layer of parchment or foil, and top with another baking sheet. This will prevent it from rising too much. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the second layer of foil and sheet, and bake another 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, dissolve saffron threads in warm water.
- In a saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Then, in the same bowl you used to dissolve the saffron, add in the shallots, creme fraiche, crab meat, salt and pepper. Mix well and season to taste.
- Slice the apples very thin on the mandolin and rub with the lemon so they don't turn brown.
- Assembly: Top each piece of puff pastry with a square of prosciutto, a slice or two of Evercrisp apple, crab meat, and a squeeze of lemon. Garnish with thai pepper, parsley and a dash of paprika for color. Enjoy!
That sounds really good! Need to try these apples!