Matthew Woolen is a master pastry chef and has worked in a variety of Seattle restaurants, including gastropub Old Sage, Zhu Dang, and a gluten-free restaurant called Capitol Cider.

Matthew Woolen

These savory mushroom turnovers might just be the best pastry snacks, since they sound delicious at any time of day, from breakfast through to midnight snack—with midmornings, afternoons, and cocktail hours in between. These flaky, crispy pastries boast a rich and herby roasted mushroom and cream cheese filling that pairs just as well with a coffee or tea as it does a glass of wine. While making turnovers is pretty easy, you have to pay attention to a few details to make them exceptional. You can start by making <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/puff-pastry">puff pastry dough</a> from scratch; in the words of a famous shoeless contessa, store-bought will work fine, but homemade puff pastry will yield flakier, more buttery layers. But the real key to good turnovers is taking into account the moisture content of the filling. If it’s too wet, it’ll sog out the puff pastry, preventing it from baking up into distinct, flaky layers. Roasting the mushrooms gets rid of a ton of excess moisture and produces browned, caramelized notes that intensify their savory qualities and make them all the more delicious. Blitzed up with cream cheese, tender herbs like parsley or chives, and a splash of sherry vinegar for brightness, the filling is rich and balanced, the earthiness of the mushrooms offset slightly by a little lemon zest and black pepper. They’re a perfect snack to have around at all times, but they also work wonderfully as passed appetizers for the holidays (you can make them more bite-sized if you’re worried about guests getting flaky puff pastry crumbs all over your furniture). And this method can be used with other fillings, too, like sweet <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/classic-frangipane">frangipane</a>. For those with dietary restrictions, you can also whip up a plant-based puff pastry and whip up a dairy-free filling!

Mushroom Turnovers