Description
Flaky, golden Savory Puff Pastry Appetizers dance with Mediterranean flavors, tempting guests at any gathering. Crisp layers and rich fillings promise an elegant start to memorable meals you’ll love sharing with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry Base:
- 1 sheet (14 ounces/400 grams) puff pastry
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
Cheese and Filling:
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup (40 grams) chopped spinach
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) diced red bell pepper
Herbs and Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (10 grams) fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
- Liberate puff pastry from freezer, allowing it to soften at room temperature for 30-40 minutes while maintaining a cool touch.
- Activate oven to 400°F and drape parchment paper across baking sheet.
- Craft a vibrant filling by blending cream cheese with parmesan, infusing minced garlic, tender spinach, and crimson bell pepper fragments.
- Elevate the mixture’s flavor profile by incorporating dried oregano, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, ensuring thorough integration.
- Tenderly unfurl pastry sheet onto a flour-dusted surface, smoothing out inherent creases with gentle rolling motions.
- Transform pastry into elegant geometric shapes using a razor-sharp knife, creating uniform squares or triangular segments.
- Delicately deposit a modest dollop of herbed cheese mixture at each pastry’s epicenter, preserving a narrow perimeter.
- Artfully collapse pastry corners toward the center, constructing intricate pinwheel or envelope configurations, firmly sealing edges.
- Anoint pastry surfaces with a gleaming olive oil sheen, promising a golden, crisp exterior.
- Strategically position filled pastry morsels on prepared sheet, allowing minimal spacing between pieces.
- Immerse in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, awaiting transformation into golden, puffy delicacies.
- Extract from oven and permit brief cooling interval of 3-5 minutes.
- Garnish with delicate, freshly snipped chives, presenting warm appetizers for immediate enjoyment.
Notes
- Make sure puff pastry is cold but flexible when handling to achieve the best flaky texture and prevent tearing during shaping.
- Use room temperature cream cheese for smoother, easier mixing and more even incorporation of ingredients.
- Drain excess moisture from spinach to prevent soggy pastry bottoms and maintain crisp texture.
- For gluten-free option, substitute traditional puff pastry with gluten-free puff pastry sheets available in specialty grocery stores.
- Prep Time: 30-40 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-18 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg