Dinner party for four here. Casual menu:  Larry made his Excellent Pizza. I was excited for dessert, Butterscotch Pudding.  But while shopping for ingredients, it struck me…  I hadn’t planned an appetizer.

Wracking my brain (well, not wracking, but thinking harder than normal while shopping), my sis-in-law’s recent pool party snacks struck me as do-able. Hers were baked tidbits of filo triangles filled with sautéed mushrooms and gruyere cheese, gone in a flash. So, I had my inspiration but not my memory — ended up buying puffed pastry dough.  Then at home, the cheese on hand was goat, but a jar of pesto in the fridge door pulled it all together.

For the four of us, I used half the box of dough to create nine flaky two-bite pastries, just enuf to tide us over ‘til pizza. And of course, PUDDING!

Mini Basil and Goat Cheese Turnovers

• 1/2 package frozen puffed pastry dough
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 1/3 cup goat cheese
• 1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Thaw as much dough as you need on kitchen counter – for four people, I used half the box which was three rectangles.  When thawed, cut into squares (each rectangle made three squares).  Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.  In the center of each dough square, spread a about 1/2 tsp. pesto and place a marble-sized chunk of goat cheese.  Fold over once into a triangle and pinch edges closed.  Brush with beaten egg.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.  Makes 9.

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