My boyfriend had his first taste of carpaccio in Rome (where we met) and has since been unable to stop himself from ordering it anytime he sees it on a menu (back here in the States). We usually eat out in New York but as we are summering in Maine there isn't anywhere around that serves it so I wanted to make it for him. However I was unable to find any butcher shop anywhere nearby that could cut the meat that thin. I ended up buying half a pound of filet mignon cut into 1/3" slices, and then I rolled it out on a cutting board with a rolling pin until it was thin enough to work for the recipe. He was pretty happy with the result! I also topped it with a tiny salad of baby arugula, with a touch of parmesan and balsamic vinegar.
The first time I made this, it turned out terribly. The cookies were a thick, chalky, doughy mess. The next time I had leftover pie crust (not from this recipe, actually a storebought roll-out kind since I was in a rush, eek!) I rolled out the leftovers, spread it with crisco, mixed some extra crisco, cinnamon and sugar together, and spread the paste onto the cookies, rolled, and sliced. I sliced them about 1/4" thick instead of 3/4", sprinkled a little extra cinnamon-sugar mixture on top and baked for 6 minutes at 425 degrees. They came out tiny and crispy and flaky with a caramelized bottom... absolutely irresistible and impossible to stop eating! Fantastic recipe, the main thing is SLICE VERY THIN BEFORE YOU BAKE!
I substituted goat cheese for blue cheese as my boyfriend and I don't care for blue... it was fabulous :-) this is his favorite thing i've ever cooked for him! goes beautifully with my recipe for her smashed potatoes!
