Cream cheese and pepper jelly is a classic appetizer in the southern U.S. The cream cheese is a blank slate, offering only its richness and slight tangy flavor to compliment sweet & spicy pepper jelly. It’s tough to beat, but easy to riff upon. I’ve swapped out traditional cream cheese for the more elevated flavor of goat cheese, which also holds up better under the heat of the oven as it bakes inside puff pastry. Convenient and easy to use, store-bought puff pastry provides a buttery flaky vessel to deliver the goods.
Flaky Pepper Jelly Cheese Puffs
Cream cheese and pepper jelly is a classic appetizer in the southern U.S. The cream cheese is a blank slate, offering only its richness and slight tangy flavor to compliment sweet & spicy pepper jelly. It’s tough to beat, but easy to riff upon. I’ve swapped out traditional cream cheese for the more elevated flavor of goat cheese, which also holds up better under the heat of the oven as it bakes inside puff pastry. Convenient and easy to use, store-bought puff pastry provides a buttery flaky vessel to deliver the goods.
Ingredients
- 1 box puff pastry
- 1 jar your favorite pepper jelly, you will not use all of it
- 4 ounce package fresh creamy goat cheese, you will not use all of it
- 1 egg
- flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry. Preheat your oven to 425 F, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl.
- Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is an even rectangle. The brand I use, Dufour, is already cut to a rectangle. Rolling it is only necessary to even it out. Cut it in half, then cut those halves into rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise, then across to make 6 squares. Use a fork to prick holes in half of the squares, and use a pastry brush or your fingers to brush the egg wash around the outside of those squares.
- Use a teaspoon to place the goat cheese in the center of the squares that have the holes and eggwash. Top with an equal amount of pepper jelly. Top those with the other squares, and use a fork to crimp the edges to seal. I find it easiest to pick up the pastry and gently press the edges together, then put the package down to crimp the edges with the fork. Finally, cut an opening in the top of the pastries. I like to use kitchen scissors to make an X, but you could also use a sharp knife to score them.
- Place them on your parchment lined sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg wash and sprinkle the tops with a flakey salt, such as Maldon.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and puffed.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before plating and serving.
Notes
The squares can be made ahead and frozen. No need to thaw before baking, just add 3-4 minutes to the baking time.
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