Aumoniere Recipe (Beggar’s Purse)

Aumonière (also known as beggar’s purse) is the name of an appetizer made of a filled crêpe bound in such a way that it resembles a drawstring purse. The tie is usually made of chives. I made the filling with a combination of roasted orange bell pepper, kumquat jelly (I’ll post the recipe soon), sweet marjoram, lemon thyme, onion chives, non-pareil capers, cream cheese, blue cheese, lemon and pistachio oil.

I tested out the recipe today in preparation for Mother’s Day next week. The dish is ultra simple to make and can easily be assembled by a child. It’s a wonderful way to get your kids involved in the kitchen and let them prepare a special meal that they will enjoy as well.

1. Info for Aumoniere Recipe (Beggar’s Purse)

• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Servings: 12
• Calories: 190 kcal

2. Ingredients for Aumoniere Recipe (Beggar’s Purse)

• 12 crêpes, omitting the sugar
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 (4-ounce) chunk blue cheese, at room temperature
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons homemade kumquat jelly
• 1 sprig sweet marjoram, finely chopped
• 1 sprig lemon thyme (or regular thyme), finely chopped
• 16 onion chives
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons non-pareil capers (see tips)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon pistachio oil

3. Directions:

1. Prepping the lemon: Zest and juice the lemon. Set aside.
2. Prepping the chives: Wash and pat dry the chives. Finely chop 4 chives. Reserve the rest. Set aside.
3. Roasting the bell pepper: Stem, wash and pat dry the bell pepper. Brush with oil. Place a grill on your stove and char all the skin of the pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes until you can handle it without discomfort. Clean the pepper using a knife; the skin will come right off. Seed and cut it into long strips. Reserve about 1/3 of it and finely chop the rest.
4. Making the cheese filling: In a bowl, combine the blue cheese, cream cheese, chopped roasted orange pepper, lemon juice and lemon zest, kumquat jelly and herbs. Add 1 tablespoon capers and pistachio oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Assembly time: Place a crêpe on the working space. Pipe or spoon on about 2 tablespoons and tie the crêpe into a bunch using the reserved chives. Place on a serving platter. Garnish with capers and the strips of bell peppers. Finish with sprigs or marjoram and thyme.
6. Bon appétit!