A New Take on a Calzone: Sausage and Peppers En Croute

What a Great Thursday it's been! We have a Brand New idea for you tonight!
Have you ever has a Calzone? Essentially a folded over pizza, right? It's Pizza with all of the Pizza fixins rolled up inside of it. Well tonight is a Sausage and Pepper Sandwich rolled up in a light and Flaky Pastry!
I had my doubts when trying it at first, but once I bit into it, and tasted the Parmesan Cheese flavored Crispy Crunch on the Pastry...I was in! My thoughts were flying afterward... They can made so many different ways, Imagine making these as appetizers? Your guests will be thrilled. What about switching them up and making them with Polish Sausage, Turkey Sausage, Portuguese, Mexican, Cajun or even Breakfast Sausages! My mind was fluttering with all of the ideas!
I make Sausage and Peppers and freeze them all the time! With Puff Pastry in the freezer too...this baby can be on your table in no time flat, ANYTIME! Give it a try, You will Love it!

Sausage & Peppers En Croute

Ingredients:

4-6 Italian Sausage Links

2 Medium Green Peppers (sliced in strips)

1 Large Onion (sliced in strips)

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp Garlic (chopped fine)

2 - 3 Tbsp Sun Dried Tomatoes (chopped)

3/4 cup White Wine (may sub chicken stock)

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 - 1.5 cups Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)

1 package Puff Pastry

1 Egg (beaten)

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° f

Place 2 Tbsp Olive Oil into a Shallow baking pan.

Add Sausage, Onions, Peppers, Garlic & Spices to the pan.

As seen here:

Oven Roast Sausage mixture for 40-50 minutes stirring mixture twice during cooking process. Roast until Sausage has color and peppers / onions have become softened & translucent.

This can be prepared ahead of time.

When sausage mixture is done set aside to cool for 30-40 mins.

Remove pastry from refrigerator. Leave on counter per package directions (for 30 mins)

Open package and remove one sheet placing it on a floured surface.

Roll pastry out to a rectangle shape.

Place Mozzarella Cheese on center of pastry in a “row down the center.

Spoon Sausage over the Cheese, leaving a border of pastry around the mixture.

Fold the pastry around the filling to close and encase the sausage and cheese.

Place the “log” of Pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Brush pastry with Beaten Egg and Sprinkle liberally with Grated Parmesan Cheese.

Bake Pastry at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes until Golden brown.

Serve.

Share with your Friends & Pin it !!!

Baked Zeppole

Next Saturday is March 19th. For Catholics that means St Joseph's Day. In the Catholic religion, St Joseph was the "Foster Father" of  Jesus, husband of the Virgin Mary. This is primarily an Italian Holiday, but where I come from, Everyone got in on it! My favorite part of this day is the Italian Pastry. As I no longer live in the Northeast, a Great Baked Zeppole is almost impossible to find. I so miss being able to trot up to Federal Hill or to North Providence and stop by Lasalle Bakery for a wonderful variety. You had to choose baked or fried, then you have your choice of cream. You can have, Canoli cream, "Italian" cream, Baileys, Amaretto, Chocolate the choices go on and on.
I braved it this year and decided I was going to make my own. Wow! There are only a few recipes online and you are hard pressed to find one for a "baked" Zeppole
As I had never made them before I was daring but not so daring to go with "flavored" cream...I stuck with the Traditional  "Italian" boiled cream I already knew how to make. LOL

Here is my version, Hope you enjoy!

Baked Zeppole

Ingredients:

Shells:

1/2 cup sugar + 3 tbsp.

1 Stick Butter

4 Eggs (large)

1/4 tsp Salt

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Water

1 1/2 cup Flour

Cream Filling:

1 tbsp Butter

1 cup Whole Milk

1 cup Heavy Cream

7 tbsp Sugar

4 tbsp Cornstarch

3 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

Garnish

Maraschino Cherries

Confectioners/Powdered Sugar.

Instructions Cream:

Mix together Eggs, sugar and cornstarch. Cream until ribbon texture.

Set aside.

In heavy saucepan bring milk, cream and butter to a boil.

Remove from heat and while whisking continuously, add egg mixture.

Move back to heat for one minute. Do not stop mixing!

Continue mixing for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and strain into a bowl. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Instructions Shells:

Preheat oven to 425° f.

Sift together flour, Salt and baking soda, set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, heat the water, add the butter and sugar, when melted, remove pan from the stove and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon or silicone spoonula, then return the pan to medium-high heat, beating the mixture until it comes away from the sides of the pan. 

Remove the pan from the heat. Let mixture cool 15 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating with hand mixer to blend each in well before adding the next egg.

Fill a pastry or ziploc bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain nozzle with some of the cream puff mixture. Squeeze out 1 1/4-inch puffs about 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheet. 

Bake the cream puffs in preheated 425ºF (220ºC) oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. When done, carefully slit the side of each cream puff with a knife to allow steam to escape and prevent the puffs from becoming soggy inside. Transfer the cream puffs to cooling racks. May keep shells in closed container for a couple days to up to a week before filling.

Assembly:

Cute each shell in half, revealing a top and bottom. 

Fill each shell with 2 tbsp cream.

Cover with top

Add 1 tsp cream to top.

Dust with powdered sugar and maraschino cherry.

Serve.

Enjoy!