This pull-apart Pesto and Goat Cheese Snowflake Pastry is a beautiful, festive appetizer for the holiday season! With just 6 ingredients, you can make this fast and easy appetizer for your Christmas or winter-themed party! One sheet of puff pastry makes 3 snowflakes!
Pesto & Goat Cheese Snowflake Pastry
‘Tis the season for all things wintery and festive! You won’t believe how easy it is to make these pull-apart snowflake pastries. My daughter inspired me to make something in the shape of a snowflake. She’s so into Elsa and the Frozen movies, so it’s her dream come true that the second movie came out just before her December birthday. We’ll be making these savoury snowflake pastries as an appetizer for her birthday party, but these are also perfect for Christmas or other holiday events!
Ingredients in Pesto & Goat Cheese Snowflake Pastry
- Frozen puff pastry – one large sheet (15oz/425g), partially unthawed
- Goat cheese
- Basil pesto – store-bought or homemade
- Roasted red pepper – I use jarred to save time
- Parmesan cheese – finely grated, used in the filling and sprinkled on top
- Egg – for brushing on the pastry before baking
How to make a snowflake pastry
Step one: Prepare baking sheets and make the filling
Preheat your oven to 375 °F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Only two snowflakes fit on one pan.
In a medium bowl, mix the goat cheese, pesto, chopped red pepper and grated parmesan. Mix until well combined.
Step two: Cut the pastry into squares
Cut the puff pastry into squares. I like to use a pizza cutter to make it easier. You’ll need 18 squares for 3 snowflakes, so cut the pastry into 20 squares (4 rows by 5 columns) and you’ll have a couple spare pieces. Don’t worry too much if your squares aren’t exactly the same size – every snowflake is different, so yours can be, too! ????
Step three: Fill the squares with Goat Cheese and Assemble into Snowflakes
Scoop about a teaspoon of goat cheese mixture in a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite. Then, roll the other corners toward and over the goat cheese, pinching the rolled sides together in the middle.
Step four: Assemble the snowflake and brush with whisked egg
Put six squares together in a snowflake shape with points touching in the middle. Press the middle together so the pieces stick together better. Repeat for the next two snowflakes. You’ll be able to fit two snowflakes on one baking sheet. Then, brush the pastry with the whisked egg. The egg wash gives the pastry a nice colour and helps the cheese stick to the pastry. Sprinkle the snowflakes with the remaining parmesan and bake for 20 minutes or until the snowflakes are turning a nice golden-brown colour.
Tips for success
- Roll the pastry over the filling. I tried both folding and rolling. The rolling results in a nicer texture when cooked and lets the snowflake “bloom” while it’s baking.
- Don’t overfill the squares. If you use much more than a teaspoon of filling, you’ll have a hard time rolling the squares.
- Do your best to cut even squares, but don’t stress if they’re not perfect. I found it a bit tricky to get the squares evenly shaped, given the folds in the pastry when you take it out of the package. But honestly, I like how different each snowflake looked after baking! Symmetry isn’t necessary for a tasty result!
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Pesto & Goat Cheese Snowflake Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, partially thawed (15oz/425g size)
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1/4 cup goat cheese (56g)
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (plus 2 tablespoons for topping)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted red pepper
- 1 egg, whisked
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the goat cheese, pesto, roasted red pepper and parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined.
- Cut the pastry into 20 evenly shaped squares (4 rows by 5 columns). You can use a pizza cutter to make this easier.
- Scoop about a teaspoon of goat cheese mixture into each square in a diagonal line. Roll the corners that don't have goat cheese toward the middle and over the goat cheese mixture. Pinch the rolled edges together over the goat cheese.
- Assemble 6 rolled squares into a snowflake shape. You'll have enough squares to make 3 snowflakes. Press the middle of the snowflake so the squares are connected together. Brush the whisked egg over the snowflake and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is turning golden brown. Cool for a couple minutes so they're safe to touch and serve while warm.
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Arly says
These were amazing! Could not stop eating them and so easy to make. Definitely going to be a new go to app for company!