Oyster Mushroom puff pastry tartlets

Looking for a beautifully delicious appetizer for a crowd that takes only about an hour to make from start to finish and can even be made the day before?! I have got you covered. Make sure to keep this recipe in your back pocket and a box of puff pastry in your freezer…

Makes about 30

Ingredients:

1lb. (2 sheets) of homemade or store-bought puff pastry, thawed

1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup sliced shallots

1lb. sliced mushrooms- Blue oyster or Shiitake or a combination of both

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 cup grated Gruyere or Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment, set aside.  Prepare homemade puff pastry through second refrigeration.  If using store-bought frozen puff pastry, make sure its thawed.  Keep either dough in the refrigerator until step 4.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add butter followed by the sliced shallots, stirring often until the shallots begin to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add thyme, rosemary and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds more until fragrant.  Scrape onto a plate and set aside.  Heat 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil and cook the mushrooms until they begin to release their liquid.  Add the balsamic and cook until the mushrooms have begin to brown and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in the reserved shallot mix.  Season with salt and pepper. Add in the cheese and fold gently.  Set aside to cool slightly while you roll out the dough.
3. On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll pastry dough into a rectangle about 10×17 inches in size.  Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry into 2inch squares and place them on the prepared baking sheet.  Using a pastry brush, brush on the prepared egg was.  Prick the puff pastry with a fork in the center.  Place about 1 Tablespoon of mushroom mixture in the center and top with a bit more cheese if desired.  
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway until the pastries are crisp and golden brown.  If desired, garnish with flaky sea salt, more fresh herbs or a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

Make ahead: You can make the mushroom filling up to 48 hours ahead of time.  Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.  You can also assemble the tarts 1 day ahead of time.  Cover and refrigerate- bake directly from the refrigerator.