Lemony Artichoke Turnovers

Looking for a tasty appetizer for your elaborate Christmas dinner? Look no further. This recipe takes a bit of prep time but is not hard to make. The combination of artichoke hearts and cheeses is classic and with the shallots, garlic and wine make a wonderful filling for the crispy puff pastry. Perfect finger food. 

Ingredients: 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 large shallot (minced) 

3 cloves garlic (minced) 

3 tablespoons flour (plus more for surface) 

½ cup dry white wine 

½ cup warm milk 

½ cup warm vegetable stock 

1 teaspoon salt 

Fresh ground pepper to taste 

Pinch of cayenne pepper 

1 pound frozen artichoke hearts (thawed and chopped) 

½ cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated) 

½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese (finely grated) 

1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped fine) 

1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest (chopped fine) 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

2 14-ounce packages puff pastry (thawed) 

1 large egg for egg wash 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallot and garlic for 1 minute. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add wine, and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and stock. Bring to a boil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and the cayenne. Simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in artichoke hearts, cheeses, thyme, zest, and mustard. Let cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Roll out puff pastry to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3-inch squares. 

Arrange 1 tablespoon artichoke mixture in center of each square. Brush 2 perpendicular edges with egg wash, and fold over to form a triangle with remaining edges, pressing to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. 

Brush turnovers with egg wash. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.