Last December a very good friend asked me if I would make some cookies and an appetizer for a large gathering she was having. There was just one catch. She asked me to make an appetizer I had never made before. At the time my first angst filled, plummeting self-confidence thought was 'omg, what if I muck it up and ruin her event'. This was immediately followed by another slightly more positive thought 'she has more faith and confidence in me than I have in myself''. All the while as my lips were saying 'yes', my head couldn't help but wonder 'what am getting myself into?'. The cookies would be a no-brainer, but the miniature Beef Wellington Balls (pieces of beef tenderloin and tiny spoonfuls of Boursin cheese wrapped and rolled in puff pastry), well they out to be one of those appetizers on the labor and time intensive side. Even after making and delivering them, I irrationally worried they wouldn't turn out when she baked them in her oven. And yet, in spite of vowing to myself to never make those little balls again (even for very, very good friends), the savory gods stepped in and made certain the appetizers were devoured at the party. So as it turned out, not only did I worry for naught, I was inspired to create a much easier, maybe even more impressively elegant appetizer made with beef tenderloin, Boursin Cheese, fresh thyme, and puff pastry. Had I fallen victim to self-doubt and fear of failure, these scrumptious, gorgeous Boursin Cheese Beef Wellington Bites may have never been created. The moral of this story: Do what scares you because the fear of regret is always greater than the fear of failure.
Normally when you think of Beef Wellington you think of beef tenderloin and sautéed mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry. However, this version of Beef Wellington pairs beef tenderloin with a garlic and herb Boursin Cheese and some fresh thyme semi-encased in an egg washed square of buttery puff pastry. The combination of savory flavors is ethereal. They are nothing short of pure bliss.
In all seriousness, these sinfully delicious Boursin Cheese Beef Wellington Bites are destined to guarantee you earning the highly coveted culinary designation of either 'hostess with the mostess' or 'host with the most'. A platter of these beauties served with a fabulous bottle of wine will definitely make for an epic gathering.
When you make anything with five or less ingredients, the quality of the ingredients really matters. So splurge on a good piece of beef tenderloin and buy some high quality puff pastry. While I have used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry before (and with good results), Dufour Puff Pastry yields great results. I generally prefer to buy Boursin Cheese at Trader Joe's as it's almost half the price you pay for it at most grocery stores.
The thawed sheet of puff pastry is rolled out very slightly on a lightly floured surface before it's cut into 16 three inch squares (you will actually get 15 squares but have enough to piece together the 16th one). After spraying a mini-muffin pan with canola or avocado oil, the pastry squares are placed into the wells of the pan and just lightly pricked with a fork. Next goes in a teaspoonful of the Boursin Cheese, followed by a pinch of fresh thyme leaves. After placing a piece of the beef tenderloin on top, brush the egg wash on the edges of the puff pastry, then season the beef with some Kosher salt and black pepper. Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before placing it in a preheated 400 degree (F) oven. Note: The Boursin Cheese Beef Wellington Bites could be made earlier in the day, wrapped and chilled in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Baking time ranges from 22-26 minutes or until the edges of the puff pastry have puffed up and are golden in color.
Remove from the muffin tin, top with some additional fresh thyme, and arrange the Boursin Cheese Beef Wellington Bites on a platter. Serve with a small bowl of garlic aoili and bowl of cornichons. This is definitely one of those appetizers having a high 'wow' mouthwatering factor. They are pure perfection. Even better, they are neither labor nor time intensive to make.
I strongly encourage you to make these easy to make delectable, bite sized appetizers for your next gathering of really good friends. The kind of friends who believe in you even more than you believe in yourself, who inspire you to channel your inner domestic goddess, and who you just love to invite over. Open up a bottle of sparkling wine, a really good Pinot Noir, a great red blend, an impressive Cab, or mix up a batch of your favorite 'house' cocktails and you have the makings of a really great evening.
Recipe
Boursin Cheese Beef Wellington Bites
Makes 16 bites
Ingredients
14 ounces (396g) puff pastry, thawed (see notes)
5 ounces (150g) Boursin Cheese (Garlic and Herb), slightly softened
5-6 ounces (145-175g) beef tenderloin (filet mignon), cut into 3/4" pieces
Fresh thyme
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 large egg mixed with one teaspoon of water to make an egg wash
Garlic Aoili (homemade or store-bought) - see notes
Optional for serving: cornichons
Directions
1. Generously spray a non-stick mini-muffin tin with canola or avocado oil. Set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the thawed (but chilled) puff pastry and roll out just to even the surface. Cut into 16 three inch squares. Note: If you are using a sheet of Dufour puff pastry, you will get 15 squares out of the sheet, but will have enough left over to piece together the sixteenth piece.
3. Place the squares into the wells of the prepared muffin pan. Use a fork to make one poke into the bottom of each piece of pastry.
4. Put a teaspoonful of the Boursin cheese into each one. If you have Boursin cheese left over, distribute evenly amongst them.
5. Sprinkle a few leaves of the fresh thyme on top of the Boursin Cheese.
6. Place a piece of the cubed beef tenderloin on top. Press down lightly. Season with Kosher salt and black pepper.
7. Brush the egg wash on the edges of the exposed puff pastry. Place the muffin tin in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes (or make early in the day, cover and chill until ready to bake).
8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Once the oven has preheated, put the muffin tin on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 24-27 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden.
9. Remove each bite with an offset spatula and place on a serving platter. Top each of the Boursin Cheese Beef Wellington Bites with a small sprig or a few leaves of fresh thyme.
10. Serve with some garlic aoili and cornichons.
11. Enjoy these bites immediately after they have been plated. They are great warm, but still really good when they come to room temperature.
Notes: (1) I used a package of Dufour Puff Pastry to make these bites. If you can't find it (I usually find it at Whole Foods), then use a package of the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. (2) To make your own homemade aoili, mix together 1/2 cup of good quality mayonnaise with one clove of garlic finely minced. Chill at least one hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend. (3) In addition to buying the Garlic and Herb Boursin Cheese at Trader Joe's, I also buy cans of spray canola and avocado oil there as well.
Joshua Tree, Arizona, March 2022