Smoked Salmon Mille-feuille

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (17 1/2 ounce) package frozen puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 pkgs)
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional, if you choose pepper)
• 4 ounces smoked salmon or 4 ounces hot-smoked salmon, skin removed

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400ºf.
• 2 line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• 3 thaw puff pastry according to pkg directions.
• 4 on a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 pastry sheet from the center until it's 1/2" wider on all sides.
• 5 whisk together egg, water, and the 1 t dill; brush onto rolled pastry sheet.
• 6 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.).
• 7 bake until pastry is golden, 15 minutes, remove from oven and cool on baking sheet on a rack.
• 8 repeat rolling, brushing, cutting and baking with second sheet of puff pastry.
• 9 before they cool completely, split each one into a top and a bottom.
• 10 combine cream cheese, capers (if using), the 2 t dill, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) or pepper (if using) & zest for filling in a bowl until well blended.
• 11 mince (smoked salmon) or flake (hot-smoked salmon) salmon, gently stir into the cream cheese mixture.
• 12 transfer filling to a resealable plastic bag; snip of a corner of the bag to form a 1/2-inch opening.
• 13 *for efficient fillling, line the puffs in rows with their "lids" next to them, then pipe them assembly-line style.
• 14 squeeze a mound about (1 teaspoon) of filling onto the "bottoms" of the baked pastry halves; top with remaining pastry halves.
• 15 make ahead:
• 16 **make filling up to 2 days ahead and store it in the bag you'll use for piping; bring to room temp before using.
• 17 ***wait until a few hours before serving to bake the puffs. so they stay crisp.
• 18 ****fill the puffs just before guests arrive.