How to make sweet and sour shrimp puffs

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray, or line with cooking parchment paper.
2. In small bowl, mix cream cheese, soy sauce, ginger and garlic until well blended; set aside.
3. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise in half to make 16 triangles.
4. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon cream cheese mixture on each triangle. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels.
5. Place 1 shrimp on shortest side of each triangle; roll up, starting at shortest side, rolling to opposite point.
6. Place sesame seed in small bowl. Gently press top of each roll into sesame seed; place roll, point side down, on cookie sheet.
7. Bake 16 to 21 minutes or until golden brown.
8. In small microwavable bowl, microwave preserves uncovered on High about 20 seconds or until melted. Gently spread 1 teaspoon melted preserves over each puff to glaze. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.

3 tablespoons cream cheese spread (from 8-oz container)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated butter flake crescent dinner rolls (8 rolls)
16 uncooked deveined peeled large shrimp (about 1/2 lb), thawed if frozen, tails removed, if
desired
3 tablespoons sesame seed
1/3 cup apricot preserves

Cookie sheet
Non-stick cooking spray
Paper towels
Paring knife
Small mixing bowl

LISA: Hi I’m Lisa Birnbach for howdini.com and this is Lauren Chattman for Pillsbury. If you’re planning a party, here’s an idea for an appetizer that’s elegant, but really easy.

LAUREN: Those are sweet and sour shrimp puffs and that’s actually a recipe from one of our past bake-off finalists Margaret Blount. And I’m going to show you how to make them.

LISA: Okay.

LAUREN: We use refrigerated crescent roll dough. This is the butterflake variety and I’m going to unroll it. There’s the seam.

LISA: Right.

LAUREN: And there are eight triangles. We’re going to cut these eight triangles into skinnier triangles.

LISA: Now is it important that they be isosceles triangles?

LAUREN: Very—that’s the crucial thing about this recipe, yes.

LISA: I just had a feeling.

LAUREN: You got it.

LISA: Mm-hmm.

LAUREN: And the easiest way to cut these triangles is to start from this point up here and cut that way. Now the filling has some nice Asian type flavors. We’ve got some cream cheese-- three tablespoons, a teaspoon of soy sauce…

LISA: Hmm.

LAUREN: A half a teaspoon of chopped garlic and some ground ginger. So we’re going to spread some of the filling there. I’ll do one and I’ll show you. These are peeled devained shrimp that have been patted dry—that’s important because you don’t want your puffs to be soggy.

LISA: Huh.

LAUREN: And then I’ve got three tablespoons of sesame seeds and I’m going to lightly roll each puff in the sesame seeds. Place your first puff on the cookie sheet. Now the important thing when putting these on the cookie sheet is to make sure this pointy tip you’ve rolled around is on the underside so that your whole crescent doesn’t unfurl.

LISA: I think what I’m learning here is that you can have a presentation that’s elegant, but not time-consuming.

LAUREN: This is not time-consuming at all. It’s kind of fun to do.

LISA: And to think that I always buy frozen appetizers at the grocery store.

LAUREN: Never again after you know how to do this.

LISA: Okay Lauren, so you fill up this greased cooking tray?

LAUREN: That’s right. You fill up the cookie sheet and pop them in the oven. 365-degrees for 16 to 21 minutes and you’re almost there. And here they are hot out of the oven.

LISA: So now the sweet and sour shrimp puffs are ready.

LAUREN: Not quite. We’re missing the sweet, which is this apricot jam.

LISA: Huh.

LAUREN: We’re going to brush it over the tops and you can help me and we’re going to finish off our little savory appetizer pastries.

LISA: Now this doesn’t feel like the consistency of apricot jam.

LAUREN: I’ve loosened it up a little by warming it up in the microwave for 20 seconds. That way it’s more spreadable. You won’t difficulty getting that nice, smooth finish.

LISA: Can we serve it right away?

LAUREN: Absolutely. Take them off of the baking tray with a spatula and eat them warm.

LISA: Well thanks Lauren.

LAUREN: You’re welcome.

LISA: And then when they’re all done I know they look like this.

LAUREN: They’re beautiful. They really are.

LISA: For all of the Pillsbury bake-off recipes check out Pillsbury.com. I’m Lisa Birnbach for howdini.