Salty Puff Pastry Hearts

Salty Puff Pastry Hearts are delicious appetizers that can be served as a starter or during a buffet. Here’s how to prepare them.

Ingredients

• 1 roll of rectangular puff pastry
• 50 g of cooked ham (or another salami of your choice)
• 50 g of cheese of your choice (emmental, scamorza, fontina, etc.)
• 1 egg yolk
• Sesame or poppy seeds for decoration (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Roll out the puff pastry and place it on a flat surface. If necessary, use a bit of flour to prevent sticking.
3. With a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry in half lengthwise.
4. Evenly distribute the cooked ham and selected cheese on one of the two halves of the pastry.
5. Cover with the other half of puff pastry, pressing lightly with your hands to make the two layers adhere.
6. With a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out many hearts from the stuffed pastry. If you do not have a heart-shaped cookie cutter, you can cut out the shape with a knife.
7. Beat the egg yolk and brush carefully over the surface of the hearts to give them a nice golden color during baking.
8. If desired, sprinkle the hearts with sesame or poppy seeds to add a crunchy touch.
9. Bake the puff pastry hearts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

The Salty Puff Pastry Hearts are ready to be enjoyed!

Curiosity

Puff pastry is a very versatile type of dough that is used in both sweet and savory preparations. Its origin is probably attributed to French cuisine, although there are similar versions in different culinary cultures. Lamination, the process of creating many thin layers of dough and butter, is what gives puff pastry its characteristic light and crispy texture.