Elephant Ears

I'm not talking about the big floppy ears on a huge elephant...I'm talking about Barefoot Contessa's awesome easy appetizer!

I made these in a pinch for a little cookie soiree at my sister's house this past weekend. They're quick and easy and pleased the non meat eating vegetarians that were in attendance!

Ina Garten..aka Barefoot Contessa. I love this lady..especially since Martha Stewart's recipes have sucked lately...however, I hope I don't take on her robust shape if I keep making her food...must go to gym, must go to gym....

But...onto the recipe...

I bought Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry. I haven't worked with puff pastry alot. I let it thaw on the counter and it comes in a long little log. You can peel the corner and it unfolds into a square like below. I put it on a floured surface and rolled it out to make it a couple inches longer and wider.

I took sundried tomatoes, a bunch of basil from Whole Foods, some olive oil and garlic. You throw it in your food processor to make a sundried tomato pesto, which is the filling in the elephant ears.

Whole Foods makes a good sundried tomato that's not in oil

 I then took the pesto and spread it all over the rolled out puff pastry. Then, I took the sides and folded them into the middle, then folded them again, and folded it in half one more time

 Once the puff pastry was folded, I sliced them and then put them cut side down on a jelly roll pan and baked them for about ten minutes.

The end result...I guess they kind of look like elephant ears? But, hey, I didn't come up with the name...I'd probably call them Pesto Puffers or something to that effect..

Barefoot Contessa's Elephant Ears

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I used one bag of Whole Foods Sundried Tomatoes) 

3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups basil leaves, packed (I used one bunch of basil from Whole Foods)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
 
Directions


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the paste, place the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for 15 seconds. Set aside.

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry and place it on a lightly floured board. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square. Using a knife, spread the paste over the top of the puff pastry. Fold the sides of the square toward the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the 2 folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush each piece with egg wash and place in the oven. Bake for 6 minutes. Turn each pastry slice over and continue baking an additional 5 minutes.


Just a couple notes from me....this makes alot of pesto. I had enough pesto to use both sheets of puff pastry even though Barefoot Contessa's recipe says 1 sheet of puff pastry and the whole batch of pesto.

Also--I couldn't turn these over half way through the baking time, they were just too delicate. They came out fine, even though I didn't flip them.