Garlic Parmesan Bruschetta Bites

Golden puff pastry scrolls swirled with garlic parmesan butter, topped with fresh tomato bruschetta, shaved parmesan and bocconcini. An easy party finger food for summer entertaining, Christmas grazing platters and relaxed weekend gatherings.

Two sheets of puff pastry spread with soft butter, garlic, parmesan and tasty cheese, rolled into logs and sliced thick, bake into golden scrolls that stay crisp on the outside and tender and savoury in the middle. As they bake, the centres settle into a little hollow, just right for holding a spoonful of fresh tomato and parsley bruschetta while the pastry is still warm. I salt the diced tomatoes and leave them to drain in a sieve first, so the pastry underneath holds its crunch right up until the platter is empty. Half the bites get a few curls of shaved parmesan and half a little piece of bocconcini, each finished with a parsley leaf and a thread of good olive oil just before they go out. The garlic parmesan pastry logs can be rolled and chilled a day ahead, which makes these puff pastry bruschetta bites an easy plate to bring to a Christmas gathering or a long summer lunch.

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 22 min · Yield: 16 bites · Cuisine: Italian · Category: Appetiser

Ingredients

Garlic Parmesan Pastry Scrolls

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, just thawed but still cold
• 60 g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed
• ½ cup (40 g) finely grated parmesan
• ½ cup (50 g) grated tasty cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• Pinch of salt, optional

Fresh Bruschetta Topping

• 2 ripe tomatoes (about 250 g)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar, optional
• Freshly cracked black pepper

To Finish

• 2 cherry bocconcini, drained and cut into quarters
• Parmesan, shaved into thin curls
• Small flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Method

1. Mix the softened butter, garlic, parmesan, tasty cheese, parsley and black pepper in a small bowl until evenly combined. Taste before adding any salt, as the parmesan already brings plenty.
2. Lay the puff pastry sheets flat while they are still cold. Divide the garlic parmesan butter between them and spread in a thin, even layer almost to the edges, leaving a 1 cm strip clear along the far edge of each sheet so the logs seal.
3. Roll each sheet firmly into a tight log, finishing seam-side down. Wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm.
4. While the logs chill, preheat the oven to 200°C conventional (180°C fan) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
5. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each chilled log into 8 thick rounds, about 3 cm each, for 16 in total. If a round squashes into an oval as you cut, gently press it back into shape with your fingertips. Arrange cut-side up on the trays, leaving plenty of room between them to puff.
6. Bake for about 22 minutes, until puffed, deeply golden and crisp underneath. No egg wash is needed. The centres settle slightly as they bake, leaving a natural hollow for the topping.
7. Leave the scrolls to rest on the trays for 5 minutes before topping.
8. Dice the tomatoes small, about 5 mm. Place them in a sieve set over a bowl, toss with the salt and leave for 15 minutes to release their excess juice. This is easily done while the pastry logs chill.
9. Discard the liquid. Combine the drained tomatoes with the parsley, olive oil and black pepper.
10. Add the balsamic a few drops at a time, tasting as you go. It should lift the tomatoes gently rather than sweeten them.
11. Spoon a small mound of the bruschetta topping into the hollow of each warm pastry scroll.
12. Finish eight bites with a few curls of shaved parmesan and a parsley leaf.
13. Finish the remaining eight with a piece of bocconcini, a parsley leaf and a little cracked black pepper.
14. Drizzle the platter very lightly with extra virgin olive oil immediately before serving.

Serving Suggestion

Set these garlic parmesan bruschetta bites out on a Christmas grazing table alongside Portuguese Christmas Ham with Madeira Glaze, or serve them with cold drinks as the first plate of a long summer lunch. For a relaxed weekend spread, pair them with Simple Rosemary Focaccia, good olives and a bowl of something fresh from the garden.

Notes

Keep the puff pastry cold from start to finish. Warm pastry is harder to roll tightly and loses some of its flaky lift in the oven.

Spread the garlic parmesan butter thinly. One batch is just enough for two sheets, and a heavy layer melts out of the scrolls as they bake instead of staying in the pastry layers.

Draining the salted tomatoes is the step that keeps the bruschetta bites crisp. Skipping it leaves the pastry soft within minutes.

A serrated knife cuts the chilled logs cleanly without squashing the spiral.

If both trays go into the oven together, swap them between shelves halfway through so they colour evenly.

For a smaller plate, halve every ingredient and use one sheet of puff pastry to make 8 bites.

Top the scrolls only when you are ready to serve, so the puff pastry stays crisp underneath.

The Grace Table Tip

For entertaining, roll and chill the garlic parmesan pastry logs up to a day ahead, wrapped well in the refrigerator. Slice and bake as your guests arrive, drain the tomatoes while the oven heats, and the bites go from tray to platter in under half an hour.

Best eaten the day they are made. Keep untopped scrolls airtight for up to 1 day and refresh in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes before adding the topping.