Hot Crab Puffs

Hot Crab Puffs

Serves 24 (Makes about 48 puffs)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 pound crab meat
26 ounces puff pastry (3 sheets), thawed in the refrigerator overnight
Finely chopped chives, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, butter, salt, celery seed, and Old Bay until smooth. Add the crab meat and stir to combine.

Cut the puff pastry sheets into 2-x2-inch squares. Gently press the squares into a mini muffin tin. Add a scant tablespoon of crab mixture to each square. Bake until the puff pastry just begins to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

• Make-ahead puffs: The puffs can be assembled the day before, covered in plastic wrap, refrigerated overnight, and then baked off the following day. They reheat well, in a warm oven, the same day they were cooked, but once cooked, the texture declines overnight.
• I prefer backfin crab meat over lump in this recipe because it fits better in the mini tarts.
• I have made these with two different brands of puff pastry and both required 3 sheets, with some scraps discarded. You can measure a sheet of puff pastry ahead of time to determine how many 2-x2-inch squares it will make.