"Binocular" Bites: Roasted Tomato/Blue Cheese and/or Dried Fig/Manchego Cheese and/or Dried Fig/Blue Cheese

For the Tomato and Blue Cheese Bites

• 1/2 sheet puff pastry dough
• 20 roasted cherry tomato halves
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese

For the Dried Fig and Manchego Cheese Bites

• 1/2 sheet puff pastry dough
• 10 Black Mission figs, halved lengthwise, with the tops cut off
• 1 cup grated Manchego cheese
• 1 egg, beaten with a a touch of water added

1. NB: This recipe uses one full puff pastry sheet, and I made 10 each of both types of bites. You can easily double either ingredient list to make one rather than both bites. On a second bake trial, I combined dried figs and blue cheese - Yum!
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry dough to an approx. 13"x10" sheet. Using a pizza wheel, cut the sheet in half lengthwise. On one half, spread the blue cheese evenly on the dough, pressing the cheese into the dough using clean fingers. Then, cut 10 crosswise strips. Place a tomato half inside each end of the pastry strip, and fold over both ends to form a pair of "binoculars." Press the ends down, and use a fork dipped in the egg wash to make a seal. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. On the other half of the pastry sheet, spread the manchego cheese evenly over the dough. Press the cheese into the dough using your rolling pin. Cut 10 crosswise strips. Place a half fig inside the ends of each strip, folding the ends together, and sealing with a fork. Place bites on the baking sheet.
4. Lightly brush the egg wash over the "binoculars." Bake in the middle of the oven for approx. 17 minutes, or until the bites are a nice golden color.