apple, pear & prosciutto puff pastry with mint.

still here on this pear-utilizing mission!

although, you could certainly make this without pears and just use apples alone!

the pear + apple combo adds a nice textural variety after initial bake, but i’d recommend using only apples if you think you may have leftovers of this for the next day. because 2nd day cooked pears = honestly not so great, mmk!

man, i love puff pastry. it is so wildly versatile and the easiest thing to just build a zillion combinations of deliciousness upon.

here’s an older recipe of mine, also involving puff pastry & prosciutto. mmmmm. now those are truly good for multiple days.

this takes little to no effort and you can whip up a quick hot appetizer in no time!

and yes, this would clearly be delicious with balsamic glaze. but i feel i use balsamic in a lot of things as a crutch for flavor, and it can be overwhelming.

though i love it still!!!

stock those freezers with puff pastry sheets and you’ll always be prepared. in the event that you need to clean out a handful of items from your fridge/pantry or throw together a quick shared snack, the result atop puff pastry will inevitably be very scrumptious!

Apple, Pear & Prosciutto Puff Pastry with Mint

Serves 4-6

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

• 2 TB dijon mustard

• 1 medium green apple, sliced into 1/4” slices

• 1 medium pear, sliced into 1/4” slices

• 4-5 slices prosciutto

• 2 ounces parmesan cheese, shaved into shards

• 1 TB honey

• fresh mint leaves

• kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil

Instructions-

Thaw one sheet of puff pastry for a couple hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set the thawed puff pastry on a piece of parchment on a baking sheet. Spread dijon mustard almost to the edges. Top with a mixture of apple and pear slices. Tuck pieces of prosciutto into the gaps and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt over the apples.

Bake for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove from oven and shave the parmesan cheese over top. Bake another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and grind some fresh black pepper over the cheese. Top with fresh mint leaves and a drizzle of honey, if desired. Balsamic glaze would be great, too.

Slice and serve immediately!

[If planning to save this for the next day, omit the pears altogether and just use apples as they stay more firm. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.]

qp

pesto parmesan prosciutto pastry twists.

this recipe post is brought to you by the letter P!

and only 5 ingredients!

(^^^ real glad elmo's episode in that link above was about the potty..haha. i was just going to say how apparently so many great things start with the letter P. i suppose the potty is pretty great in its own special way, too.)

also: peter just asked if what's in that cup was melted butter for dipping..........🙈

oh the things you don't really notice about a photo until the last second.

it was a very bright BEER. i do not dip my pastries in melted butter, and i don't really recommend that to others. but that's your prerogative. [<< ooo, P word]

these twists are inspired by a delicious ham and pesto treat that my mom's friend makes around the holidays. i'd been wanting to twist something up into puff pastry so this seemed ideal! i made these right after christmas and they stayed moist and delicious in a container until new year's eve!

and the eaters of these puffy twists were delighted! it's great when something so enjoyable to everyone is so super easy to make. grrrreat successsss.

just unfold your puff pastry sheets, brush with olive oil, spread pesto, add prosciutto, sprinkle parmesan, twist, and bake!

they come out so puffy and perfectly savory and satisfying. i even cut them in half again after baking, so you can stretch this recipe quite a way and get about 24 little twists.

the puff pastry is soo buttery and delicious...you don't even need a side of melted butter for dipping!! 😉

(please refer to the melted butter mix-up above if you missed that tidbit.)

it was a little bit tough to slice through the prosciutto without it wiggling around. gently press the slice of prosciutto down so it stays in place. a serrated knife actually helped a bit.

then twist baby twist.

and sprinkle with more parmesan cheeeez!

one of the greatest things in life are those cheese crusters that occur on sides of grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, and these twists!

i purposely put cheese on the edges of all those items so it will crisp up into its own little crunchy cheesy side snack.

back in my starbucks days, we'd put the stray crumbles of cheddar cheese that fell off the frozen breakfast sandwiches onto parchment and heat em in the oven for a crispy cheese cruster morsel of delight. i think that era of cheese pilfering is the reason i call those, "cheese crusters...." who said that? what's a cruster? whitney was that you? nicole??

anyhow, y'all should try making these! and you can use this pesto recipe while you're at it!😉

PHENOMENAL! pip pip!

Pesto Parmesan Prosciutto Puff Pastry Twists

Makes 8 - 12 Twists

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 thawed puff pastry sheets (I use Pepperidge Farm)
• 1 - 2 TB olive oil, for brushing
• 2/3 cup fresh pesto
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 6 - 8 thin slices of prosciutto

Instructions-

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lay the thawed puff pastry sheets (unfolded) flat on parchment paper on top of a large cutting board. Lightly brush the surface of the pastry sheets with olive oil. Spread a thin layer of pesto across the sheets, staying about 1/4 inch away from the edges. Lay the prosciutto slices on top. Sprinkle with a handful of parmesan cheese. 

Make sure the parchment and pastry sheets are on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife or pizza cutter, slice the sheet into 4 to 6 equal strips. Slicing into 6 strips per sheet makes a few more twists, and the size is a little better. I preferred the twists in thinner slices.

Holding both ends of the strip in each hand, begin twisting in opposite directions. Keep twisting until the pesto and prosciutto is all twisted up inside the pastry. Fold over the very ends of the twist and press firmly just to keep it somewhat enclosed.

Place all twists on the parchment paper on a baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. 

Bake for about 13 minutes for puffy, tender twists (as seen in these photos). Bake a few minutes longer if you'd like them a bit crunchier.

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