Bacon and Spinach Pastries
This easy-to-make recipe can be enjoyed as an appetizer or as a main course.
This easy-to-make recipe can be enjoyed as an appetizer or as a main course.
- Carbohydrate 15.8722364758065 g
- Cholesterol 51.41585 mg
- Fat 23.4409960645161 g
- Fiber 1.33150002980232 g
- Protein 6.73242161290323 g
- Saturated Fat 7.96036525120968 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (108g)
- Sodium 440.7019125 mg
- Sugar 14.5407364460041 g
- Trans Fat 3.27074880080645 g
- Calories 302 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius.
- Cook bacon in heated frying pan, stirring until crips
- Using hands, squeeze moisture from spinach; chop finely
- Combine bacon, spinach and dip in medium bowl.
- Cut each sheet of pastry into four equal squares.
- Spoon one-eighth of the spinach mixture into centre of each square. Fold pastry over to form a triangle. Pinch edges together to seal.
- Place triangles on oiled oven tray. Brush with egg.
- Bake uncovered in hot oven, about 15 minutes or until browned and crisp.
Unlike a standard double-crust pie that relies on extensive bottom dough to hold fillings, turnover-style hand pastries concentrate all structural integrity into a single folded sheet of laminated dough. Achieving a shatteringly crisp exterior while housing a wet vegetable filling requires strict moisture management. Frozen spinach is notorious for retaining water inside its cellular structure even after thawing, which will instantly turn puff pastry layers into a dense, gummy paste if left unchecked. Hand-wringing the thawed spinach until completely dry is mandatory before incorporating it into the prepared spring onion dip and cooked bacon rashers.
Mastering Lamination and Heat
Puff pastry rises through the rapid expansion of water turning to steam trapped between hundreds of microscopic butter layers. When assembling the squares, ensure the oven is preheated precisely to 190 degrees Celsius. Lower temperatures melt the butter slowly rather than vaporizing water instantly, causing the fat to leak out onto the baking tray instead of creating steam lift. Brush only the exposed pastry surfaces lightly with beaten egg, avoiding the crimped edges where sealing requires direct dough-to-dough contact. Bake uncovered for approximately 15 minutes, watching for a deep golden brown hue and visible flaking along the folded seams.
- If the pastries leak filling during baking, the edges were likely overfilled or insufficiently pinched.
- Store baked leftovers in a paper-lined container at room temperature for up to 24 hours to preserve crispness, avoiding airtight plastic bags that trap ambient humidity.
- Pair these savory hand pies with an acidic, raw green salad dressed simply in lemon juice to cut through the heavy fat content of the pastry and bacon.
