These Asparagus and Brie Flaky Pastries are so springy and easy to put together: crispy homemade pastry, brie that melts in the oven (and your mouth) and seasonal asparagus. The thyme honey which comes along only adds to that. They make an ideal brunch, appetizer or starter and let me assure you that it’s one of those recipes that make people go speechless. This will be for sure a spring hit!
I think it’s becoming clear that I am an asparagus fan. Since they are such a seasonal produce, I make the most of them during spring. If always grilling them, they can become a bit boring, so I always try to keep things interesting and vary how I cook them or present them, especially when I have guests. So today, I am sharing with you an asparagus recipe idea that I make quite often: Asparagus and Brie Flaky Pastries
These pastries are adapted from the Asparagus and Brie Puff Pastry by Half-Baked Harvest (a queen of home cooking on social networks). And how have I adapted them? Well, mainly by making them with my homemade quick flaky pastry instead of using store-bought puff pastry. It’s a very easy rough puff pastry, you put it together in 5-10 minutes and boom! Your guests will be even more amazed at these asparagus and brie flaky pastries.
Sometimes I also change the cheese variety. I substitute the brie for camembert or even Urgèlia which is a local creamy cheese. Another change is that I sometimes omit the honey if I’m in a hurry or I don’t have it at home. It provides a nice contrast with its sweetness, but the asparagus and brie puff pastry as-is is already amazing.
Tips & Tricks for a Perfect Quick Flaky Pastry
- The butter has to be frozen: the butter has to be very hard so that
- You can grate it well.
- It does not “merge” with the flour and become a uniform dough at the end. We want to see the bits of butter, as they melting in the oven release steam that will puff the pastry (butter is about 80% fat and 20% water, and this water percentage is what makes magic in a puff pastry).
- Coat the butter with flour if you see it sticking to the grater.
- Use very cold water: in relation with the first point, we want to use very cold water to keep the butter pieces as whole as possible without melting them.
- Work on a cold surface: we need the pieces of butter to remain as whole as possible so that the dough is flaky later. Once I made it on top of the counter with the dishwasher on right below me and oh my… a complete disaster.
- Do not knead the dough, just join the bits and pieces, as if you were gathering them, and press them against each other. Kneading it would make the pieces of butter disappear as they would get completely integrated. Also, with the temperature of the hands the butter softens and melts.
- Start by using less water and add as needed. You will see that the recipe indicates to start with 50 ml and then to add more little by little until you reach 65 ml (I have never needed more than this amount). It may seem like 15 ml is nothing, but it really does change the texture a lot. Also, keep in mind that as you work the dough, even if you don’t knead it, you will transfer the heat from your hands to it, so the butter will soften a little, helping you to put it all together without needing to add more water.
Ideal Asparagus Thickness
For this recipe, you will need thin asparagus. The thicker they are, the longer they need to be properly cooked, so you could end up with your pastry looking ready and the asparagus still be raw. On the other hand, we don’t want them super thin either because the opposite would happen, that is, you could end up with crispy asparagus waiting for the pastry to be completely done and golden.
How to Store and Reheat These Asparagus and Brie Flaky Pastries
If you have any asparagus and brie puff pastry left over, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep in mind that the pastry will soften, so to enjoy them again you have two options:
- Reheat them using a pan. This is the quickest method, but not so ideal. How would we do it? Heat the pan (without oil) over medium heat, add the pastries and cover for 1 minute. Uncover and cook until the base is crispy again.
- Reheat them in the oven. It’s a slightly more cumbersome method because we have to preheat the oven but it’s the most efficient one. Simply bake the asparagus and brie flaky pastries again for about 5-10 minutes, making sure they don’t get burnt (they are cooked already).
Some Frequently Asked Questions about These Pastries
¿Should I leave or remove the Brie rind?
I know some of you will ask, so let me anticipate. Yes, I leave the rind on. On the one hand, it’s edible, so there’s no problem, and on the other hand, it keeps the brie from spilling all over the edges. If you don’t like it though, feel free to remove it.
¿Can I Use Other Cheese Varieties?
Of course! As I mentioned before, you can use Camembert or Urgèlia. Even cured mozzarella or provolone, but I personally would go for a slightly more flavorful cheese option for this recipe.
¿Can I Prepare Them Ahead?
Yes! On the one hand, you can prepare the quick flaky pastry up to 5 days in advance and store it in the fridge or you can even freeze it.
On the other hand, you can prepare the asparagus and brie flaky pastries the day before, without the egg wash, and store them in the fridge until ready to bake. When it’s time to bake them, remember to brush them with the egg and that’s it.
More Stunning Springy Recipes
Here you have a few ideas to succeed this spring in the kitchen:
- 10-Minute Creamy Gnocchi with Peas and asparagus
- Spinach Salad with Capers Vinaigrette
- One-bowl Iced Lemon Ricotta Loaf
- Strawberry Galette with Vanilla Whipped Cream
If you make this Asparagus and Brie Flaky Pastries recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rate it. Hearing from you is everything! Oh, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Asparagus and Brie Flaky Pastries
Ingredients
Quick Flaky Pastry
- 170 g flour - all-purpose or plain
- 130 g unsalted butter - frozen
- A pinch of salt
- 50-65 ml water - cold
Filling
- 30-36 asparagus - thin, woody ends trimmed
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- 200 g brie - cut into 6 slices
- 1 egg - beaten
Thyme Honey
- 30 ml honey
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
Quick Flaky Pastry
- Sift the flour into a bowl and add the pinch of salt. Grate the butter over the flour through a coarse grater. Gently toss the grated butter so it gets coated with the flour.
- Start with adding 50 ml of water and using your hands bring it all together – do not knead, we want to keep the bits of butter whole. If you cannot integrate all the flour, gradually add the remaining 15 ml until you get a dough that leaves the bowl or the counter clean. Bear in mind that the heat of your hands will soften the butter a bit, which will also help the dough come together.
- 3 Wrap with cling film or wax paper and chill for at least 30min (see notes).
Filling
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drizzle the asparagus with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- On a floured surface, roll out the pastry into a rectangle and cut it into 6 squares. Transfer to the lined baking sheet.
- Place a piece of brie diagonally on each square and then 5 or 6 asparagus.
- Wrap the squares by bringing together the opposite side, the asparagus tips should be visible.
Baking & Honey
- Brush each pastry with egg.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, in a small pan melt together the honey with the thyme.
- Serve warm with a drizzle of honey on top and the remainder on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can prepare the quick flaky pastry up to 5 days in advance and store it in the fridge or you can even freeze t.
- You can prepare the asparagus and brie flaky pastries the day before, without the egg wash, and store them in the fridge until ready to bake. When it’s time to bake them, remember to brush them with the egg and that’s it.
- If you want you can use store-bought puff pastry. Follow the instructions from the filling section onwards.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @paulasapron on Instagram and hashtag it #paulasapron.