Baked Cheesy Puff Pastry with Crispy Prosciutto
This Baked Cheesy Puff Pastry with Crispy Prosciutto appetizer is a show-stopping party centerpiece. Flaky puff pastry filled with melted cheese, crispy prosciutto, caramelized shallots, and sweet fig jam. Perfect for holiday gatherings or game day!
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- 4 ounces fig spread (or jam, preserves)*
- 8 ounces cubed mixed cheeses , something soft and something aged (such as Fontina, Gruyere, Smoked Gouda, Sharp Cheddar)**
- 2 ounces cubed cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons of olive or avocado oil
- 2 ounces of thinly sliced prosciutto , cut into 1 1/2" pieces, each bunched up into a loose wad
- 1 shallot , sliced thinly (cut into half moons if slices are larger than 1")
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves (can sub with fresh thyme)
- 2 teaspoons chopped from chive lives
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little kick)
- Honey , for drizzling
- 1 egg , beaten with a teaspoon of water
Instructions
- Remove the puff pastry from the outer sealed wrap, thaw, still folded, on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes, or until the pastry can be unfolded and manipulated without cracking, but is not soft and sticky.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Cut a square of parchment paper that's at least 12" on each side.
- Center the puff pastry on the parchment sheet. Spread a thick layer of fig jam over the center. You don't need to go all the way out to the edges.
- Pile the cheese cubes in the center of the pastry on the jam.
- Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Place each prosciutto bunch in the hot pan and let cook on the first side for 2 minutes. Flip each bunch to crisp the other side for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the shallots and garlic to the same skillet and saute for a minute or two, until soft and fragrant. Sprinkle about half of the herbs over the shallots and stir for about 15 seconds.
- Add the crisped prosciutto and shallot mixture to the stack of cheese cubes.
- Drizzle honey over the meat and cheese.
- Fold each corner of the puff pastry up and over the cheese stack, with the four corners meeting in the middle. Press on the folded edges to help everything stay in place (you can also pinch the newly-made corners together).
- Use the parchment paper to carefully pick up and transfer the puff pastry bundle to an oven-proof skillet (10") or pie plate. Tuck in any overhanging parchment paper around the edges.
- Brush the puff pastry with the egg wash, covering all of the visible surfaces.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the puff pastry is a nice, golden brown, and the cheese is melty.
- Sprinkle the remaining herbs over the cheese and serve immediately with sturdy crackers.
Notes
* No need to measure or weigh the jam. Just spoon it out of the jar and use what you need to spread on the pastry.
** Keep the cubes small — especially the aged cheeses — no larger than a 1/2", or they won't melt before the pastry finishes cooking. The aged cheeses might retain their cube shapes, but the cheese will be soft and spreadable.