Easy Puff Pastry Appetizer with Pears, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese

Name: Easy Puff Pastry Appetizer with Pears, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1/2 apple pear, cored, peeled, thinly sliced and dipped in 2 tbsp orange juice; 1 frozen Dofour puff pastry sheet (or similar), thawed; Flour for dusting; 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted; 6-7 oz goat cheese (or part goat cheese and part blue cheese), softened; 2 tbsp honey; 1 packed cup baby arugula; 6 slices prosciutto di parma

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I am in love with Pâte Feuilletée–AKA the best of all dough; the leafy, buttery, light and so elegant puff pastry! Today’s puff pastry appetizer is not only elegant but also quite easy to prepare.

I was so tempted to name this post something with “Pâte Feuilletée.” Doesn’t that sound fancy?

To say that English is my second language is one thing…but my French? I humbly admit, it is more likely to get the neighbor’s dog to speak before I could learn a few French words.

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There is a lot to be said about the culture of the Mediterranean. And without a doubt, there are similarities and lots of differences between, say, the people of South Europe and their Mediterranean neighbors in North Africa.

But if I were to find only one commonality among the people of the Mediterranean, it is that we enjoy good food and lots of company.

Familiar with the concepts of tapas or mezze? I am convinced the whole idea behind tapas and mezze tables stemmed from the love of feasting with friends. Going out for tapas is quite a regular activity in Spain. And if you visit a Middle Eastern home or restaurant, you can’t help but start your meal with a few little mezze dishes.

There is a certain something about a mezze table that invites company. A certain casualty, if you will, that allows for friends to, without reservation, dig into small dishes like this melty baked brie, warm bruschetta, antipasto, creamy hummus, or today’s puff pastry appetizer.

And there is almost an unspoken agreement that a tapas or mezze table begs for a leisurely night of catching up while enjoying little bites and sipping on a glass of wine (or two).

Doesn’t that sound nice?

Today’s puff pastry appetizer with grilled pears, prosciutto and goat cheese makes the perfect addition to any appetizer table.

This recipe is one that you can easily make your own if you wanted to switch up the toppings. But, the combination of the sweet–from the grilled pears and honey –with the savory–from the cheese and prosciutto is just right! I would have totally added a little blue cheese, except my husband does not like how it smells (sigh). I had some arugula left in my bag from my recent arugula salad recipe, so I threw that on for a little something green. It was excellent!

This recipe makes six servings, but you can certainly divide the puff pastry into smaller squares to feed more.

Ready? Here is the step-by-step for this easy puff pastry appetizer:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a cast iron grill or griddle on high. Dip the pear slices in orange juice then pat them dry before placing them on the grill. Grill the pears on each side about 2-3 minutes until lightly charred. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the thawed puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured working surface. Dust the top of the pastry with a little more flour then brush with the melted butter. With a knife, divide the puff pastry into 6 squares equal in size. With the remaining melted butter, crease a baking sheet. Carefully transfer the puff pastry squares to the baking sheet.

Portion the cheese equally on top of the puff pastry squares and add 2 slices of the grilled pears.

Place the baking sheet into the 400 F degree heated-oven for 20 minutes. Once the pastry squares begin to puff up and turn a nice golden brown, remove from the oven.

Top each pastry square with a drizzle of honey, arugula and a slice of prosciutto di parma. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.