Martha Stewart's Savory Pumpkin Puffs

Makes 18 to 24

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, for parchment
• 1 standard package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously flour two pieces of parchment paper; on each, roll out an unfolded pastry sheet to form a 15-by-13-inch rectangle, about 1/16 inch thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the paprika into the melted butter.

Remove pastry from the refrigerator, and brush off excess flour. Spread a rectangle of pastry with mustard; sprinkle with both cheeses. Season with pepper. Lay a second pastry rectangle on top.

Place a sheet of parchment on top of the stacked pastry; using a rolling pin, roll until smooth and pastry layers are sealed together. Remove parchment, and brush top of pastry with butter mixture. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

With a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, cut into 18 to 24 shapes. Immediately place the shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a sharp paring knife, score each shape four or five times to make pumpkin ridges. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer puffs to a wire rack; let cool slightly before serving.