Ham & Gruyère Croissant Bites with Dijon Mornay

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Two dozen shatter-crisp mini croissants stuffed with folded deli ham, nutty Gruyère, and a spoonful of cold Dijon mornay that melts into a sauce instead of leaking out the seams. All-butter puff pastry does the lamination for you, so these go from freezer aisle to golden, handheld snack in about an hour — and they reheat crisp, which makes them the best party pastry you can make ahead.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup Gruyère, coarsely grated
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 14 oz all-butter puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed but cold
• 6 oz thin-sliced Black Forest ham
• 5 oz Gruyère, coarsely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• all-purpose flour, for dusting

• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp water
• 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds
• flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Make the mornay first so it has time to chill: melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook 60–90 seconds until it smells faintly nutty but has taken on no color.
2. Whisk in the milk in a slow stream, then cook, whisking constantly, for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon heavily. Off the heat, stir in the Dijon, 1/2 cup Gruyère, nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper until smooth.
3. Scrape the mornay into a shallow bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate 20–30 minutes, until cold, stiff, and scoopable like cold pudding. This is the step that keeps the filling inside the pastry.
4. Meanwhile, prep the filling: stack the ham slices and cut them into roughly 2-inch pieces, then loosely fold each piece so it has some height. Toss the 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère with the thyme leaves. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
5. On a lightly floured counter, unfold one cold pastry sheet and roll it into a 10 x 14-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Cut it lengthwise into two 5 x 14-inch strips, then cut each strip into 6 long triangles (make a zigzag of cuts every 4 1/2 inches or so). Repeat with the second sheet for 24 triangles total. If the dough softens at any point, slide it onto a sheet pan and chill 10 minutes.
6. Build each bite: with the wide base of a triangle facing you, dab on a scant teaspoon of cold mornay, add a folded piece of ham, and top with a generous pinch of the Gruyère-thyme mixture, keeping everything 1/2 inch in from the edges.
7. Roll from the wide base toward the tip, snugly but without crushing, then set the roll seam-side down on the baking sheet and curve the ends gently inward into a crescent. Space them 2 inches apart, 12 per sheet.
8. Chill the shaped bites, uncovered, for 20 minutes in the refrigerator (or 10 in the freezer) while you heat the oven to 400°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Cold pastry going into a hot oven is what gives you visible layers.
9. Beat the egg with the water and brush the tops and sides of each bite in a thin, even coat, avoiding puddles at the base. Sprinkle with Parmesan, sesame or poppy seeds, and a few flakes of sea salt.
10. Bake 18–22 minutes, swapping and rotating the pans at the 12-minute mark, until the bites are deep golden brown, visibly layered at the ends, and no longer pale where the coils overlap. Any cheese that escapes will crisp into a frico — leave it.
11. Let them rest 5 minutes on the pan so the molten cheese sets slightly, then transfer to a rack and serve warm, within the hour, while the shell is still crackly.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem