These crispy puff pastry cheese straws came together when I needed an easy appetizer to bring to a card party. I rummaged through the fridge, baked them up and…I came home with an empty tray.
I think people liked them 😊.
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The recipe starts with a package of frozen puff pastry, some fig jam and a package of prosciutto: three pantry ingredients that keep on hand when a quick appetizer is needed. I love that this can be assemble quickly and doesn’t involve a lot of cooking. A keeper in my book!
Make this part of an appetizer buffet with my always popular spicy cheese dip recipe and my Boursin stuffed mushrooms.
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A few ingredient callouts
Take a peek at the image below for the ingredient list. With an ingredient list this short and most of them being packaged ingredients, I try to use the highest quality I can afford with a couple of exceptions.
Fontina cheese. There are two main types of fontina cheese: an Italian one and a Scandinavian one (wax red rind). For the recipe, I use the Italian fontina (a richer flavor) and pick it up at Trader Joe’s. Double check the package to be sure.
Prosciutto. I am picky about prosciutto and use Prosciutto di Parma (with the black/gold crown label) whenever possible. It is packaged with paper sheets between the slices to keep the sliced prosciutto from sticking to itself. The paper also makes it easy to peel away the slices without tearing.
Jam. If fig jam (or butter) isn’t your favorite or you have everything but that, don’t run to the store. Strawberry jam is a really good alternative.
How to make fig cheese straws
Before you start. If you have never worked with puff pastry, be sure to follow the directions on the package for thawing. It’s best to thaw it in the fridge and not in the microwave Using the dough when it’s still even slightly frozen can cause your puff pastry to crack or not roll properly and using it when too warm can help it not “puff”.
Confession: My dough was too cold and I popped it in the microwave for a couple of seconds too long. You’ll see how soft it got in the image below. Luckily, it worked but I was worried!
TIP
Working with prosciutto
Prosciutto can be tricky to work with but the paper lining comes in handy for placing the slices. First, separate one piece of prosciutto with the paper attached and lay the prosciutto face down on the cheese. It will slightly stick and then you can peel back the paper leaving the prosciutto in one piece.
Cook’s notes
- As you pull away the prosciutto from the paper/package, it might tear in pieces or strips. That’s ok…it’s forgivable and can be “smooshed” together on the puff pastry. Once you the cheese straw is baked, no one will know the difference!
- You’ll see that I lay the prosciutto in a sheet over the whole puff pastry dough and then cut them into strips. I thought about cutting the strips before laying the prosciutto but then the cheese would fall out. The prosciutto holds the cheese in place.
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Crispy Fig Puff Pastry Cheese Straws
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Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry
- ½ cup fig butter or jam
- 1 cup fontina cheese, grated
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated; divided
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ cup pistachios, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Defrost the puff pastry according to package directions.1 package puff pastry
- Brush a board or the counter lightly with flour.
- Roll the puff pastry out on the board.
- Spread the fig jam to the edges of the puff pastry.1/2 cup fig butter or jam
- Sprinkle over the grated fontina first and then most of the parmesan (leave a bit for sprinkling on top).1 cup fontina cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Top with slices of prosciutto.4 slices prosciutto
- Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the puff pastry into 8 or 9 strips, about 1" wide. You might have to separate some of the prosciutto by hand if it sticks to the pizza cutter [see below*].
- Start twisting each strip in opposite directions like you’re unwrapping a piece of candy. Do your best to keep the filling “inside” and don’t worry if the pastry doesn’t look perfect. They’ll look great once baked!
- Mix the beaten egg with water.1 egg, 1 teaspoon water
- Lay each puff pastry straw on the prepped baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle over chopped pistachios and a little more parmesan cheese.1/2 cup pistachios
- Bake until golden brown about 10-12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet until crispy. I love serving these upright in a tall glass or wide mouth vase.
