quick and easy appetizer #1

With all the dishes you’ll be making for the big Thanksgiving feast, you need a couple of easy, quick, and tasty appetizers to go with the crudites. One of the quickest and easiest products to use is puff pastry.

Puff pastry can be purchased in the freezer section of the grocery store, usually near the pie crusts. Most grocery stores carry the Pepperidge Farms brand. Trader Joe’s also carries their own signature brand of puff pastry (you can pick up the tapenades there too). Both brands have two sheets of pastry per package, only one is needed for this recipe. Wrap well and refreeze the second sheet for future use.

Twisted Tapenade Swirls

1 sheet thawed puff pastry
3 tablespoons green olive tapenade
3 tablespoons black olive tapenade

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.

Lay puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board. Cut lengthwise into 11 strips, and cut those strips in half for a total of 22 strips.

Spread 11 of the strips with green olive tapenade and the remaining 11 with the black olive tapenade.

Twist each strip and place it on the prepared baking sheet, pressing down each end of the strips to keep them from untwisting.

Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove to racks to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 22