mushroom & gruyere cheese appetizers

• prepare the filling by chopping the mushrooms in a food processor and adding the crushed garlic and flat-leaf parsley and pulsing for several seconds more until well combined
• heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan, add the chopped mushrooms, salt and pepper and thyme, cook for several minutes at medium heat until tender and drier and let cool
• combine the cooked mushrooms with the grated gruyere cheese and set aside in the refrigerator to cool, taste before and adjust to your taste
• roll out your sheets of chilled store-bought puff pastry (or to make your own, see my recipe here) and cut out circles (mine measured 8 ½ cm each) and once done, chill the circles of dough again before filling

note : chilling dough and the ingredients (that will be combined with the dough), avoids the butter in the dough from melting and/or softening too much which makes the dough more difficult to use, always chill your puff pastry creations before baking them in a hot oven !

• to fill, brush the insides of the puff pastry circles with the beaten egg wash, place 1½ - 2 tbsp of chilled mushroom and cheese filling in each, fold over and press to seal the edges (I used a handy plastic tool to form, fold and seal them)
• preheat the oven to 210°C while re-chilling the formed half-moon puff-pastry appetizers for 30 minutes in the fridge, place on a baking paper covered baking sheet brushed with some oil, brush the top surfaces of the appetizers with the remaining beaten egg wash, bake for 17-18 minutes and serve warm.