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Ham and Cheese Pastry Puffs

Source of Recipe

From "The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook" by Cheryl Day


Recipe Introduction

"Griff's unique spice and herb blend tastes exotic, elevating this simple breakfast pastry above the ordinary, but many of the spices are probably already sitting in your spice rack. The spices give the pastry a bit of a kick, which can be a boost for early risers."

List of Ingredients

For the spice blend:
â—¦ ½ teaspoon onion powder
â—¦ 1 tablespoon chili powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
â—¦ 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground allspice
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground cloves
â—¦ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
â—¦ Fine sea salt to taste

For the pastries:
â—¦ One 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), defrosted for 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator
â—¦ ½ pound thinly sliced Black Forest ham
â—¦ ½ pound sharp white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
â—¦ 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
â—¦ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt


Recipe

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

To make the spice blend:
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

To make the pastries:
Unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Cut each pastry sheet into four (about 5-inch) squares. Arrange the sliced ham and cheese on the centers of the pastry squares, dividing them evenly. Sprinkle some of the spice blend lightly over each one. Fold two opposite corners of each square over the filling to make a pouch and press the edges to seal; transfer the pastries to the prepared baking sheet.

Brush each pastry evenly with the egg wash.
Sprinkle the tops with more spice blend to taste. Sprinkle salt evenly over the pastries.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown.
Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 pastries