Croutes Au Fromage
Submitted by pingpeh
Tiny French cheese pastry sandwiches made with sharp cheddar dough and a melted Swiss cheese filling. Flaky, buttery, and gone in two bites. Makes 46 croutes.
YIELD
46 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
15 minREADY
2 hrsThese little croutes are the kind of cocktail party bite that makes people stop mid-conversation and ask, “What IS this?"
Sharp cheddar gets worked into a buttery pastry dough with a whisper of cayenne for heat. Rolled thin, cut into tiny rounds, and baked until golden. Then you sandwich them together with a creamy Swiss cheese and butter filling and flash them back in the oven until everything melts.
Two cheeses, two bakes, one irresistible result.
The yield is 46, which sounds like a lot until you watch them vanish from the platter in about six minutes flat.
Pro Tips
- Roll the dough paper-thin, just 1/16 of an inch. These should be crisp and delicate, not bready
- Chill the dough a full 2 hours before rolling. It’s too soft and sticky otherwise
- Use the sharpest cheddar you can find for the dough. Mild cheese won’t punch through the butter and flour
- These can be assembled ahead and given their second bake right before guests arrive
Ingredients
Directions
Into a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cayenne.
Blend in the butter and Cheddar cheese.
Stir in the cream, stirring until the mixture forms dough.
Chill, wrapped in wax paper, for 2 hours.
Roll out dough 1/16-inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds, using a 1½ inch cutter.
Reroll scraps and cut out more rounds.
Arrange on baking sheets, brush them lighly with the egg, and bake in the middle of a preheated 450 F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned lightly.
In a small container, cream together the Swiss cheese and softened butter.
Arrange half the rounds, bottom sides up, on baking sheets.
Divide the cheese mixture among them.
Make sandwiches by pressing the remaining rounds on top and pressing lightly.
Bake the croutes in the 450 F oven for 4 minutes, or until the cheese is just melted.
Makes 46 croutes.
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