Smoked Salmon Mille Feuille Food

SMOKED SALMON MILLE-FEUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Thaw puff pastry according to pkg directions.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 pastry sheet from the center until it's 1/2" wider on all sides.
• Whisk together egg, water, and the 1 T dill; brush onto rolled pastry sheet.
• Using 1 1/2 inch round cutter, cut pastry into rounds - transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet. (Puff pastry shrinks as it bakes, so use a cutter one size larger than you want for the finished mille-feuille.).
• Bake until pastry is golden, 15 minutes, remove from oven and cool on baking sheet on a rack.
• Repeat rolling, brushing, cutting and baking with second sheet of puff pastry.
• BEFORE they cool completely, split each one into a top and a bottom.
• Combine cream cheese, capers (if using), the 2 T dill, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) or white pepper (if using) & zest for filling in a bowl until well blended.
• Mince (smoked salmon) or flake (hot-smoked salmon) salmon, gently stir into the cream cheese mixture.
• Transfer filling to a resealable plastic bag; snip of a corner of the bag to form a 1/2-inch opening.
• *For efficient fillling, line the puffs in rows with their "lids" next to them, then pipe them assembly-line style.
• Squeeze a mound about (1 teaspoon) of filling onto the "bottoms" of the baked pastry halves; top with remaining pastry halves.
• MAKE AHEAD:
• **Make filling up to 2 days ahead and store it in the bag you'll use for piping; bring to room temp before using.
• ***Wait until a few hours before serving to bake the puffs. so they stay crisp.
• ****Fill the puffs just before guests arrive.