Giangi's Kitchen

• Share on Twitter
• Share on Facebook
• Pin It on Pin Interest

Skip To The Recipe

Ham and cheese puff pastry nibbles have been my party’s easy appetizers for so many years and are always a perfect hit with everyone. There is not an occasion that I do not make them.

And with Christmas and New Years’ Eve at our doorsteps, this recipe is the perfect party food.

I love little finger food that does not require a fork, spoon, or knife to enjoy it. Not being that ambidextrous, sooner or later, something will fly off my plate or a drink will spell.

I am that friend who cannot talk, walk, eat and drink simultaneously.

These cute pastry nibbles are the perfect candidate for the job. May they sit pretty on a small plate or in the palm of your hand. I guarantee you will not have a mess, everyone.

What is Puff Pastry, and how do you use it?

Puff pastry is a light and flaky pastry made by alternating layers of butter and dough. The only ingredients used are butter, salt, water, and flour. No leavening agents are required.

Puff pastry is light, golden, and crisp but not usually sweetened.

Preparing it at home is a lengthy and complicated process.

It involves wrapping a cold block of butter in the dough, rolling it out, folding it over, and repeating this folding and rolling process until you are left with hundreds of layers of pastry.

Not to mention that the dough needs to be chilled between each turn of rolling and folding.

So thankful that we can find the puff pastry already made at our supermarkets.

The magic happens when you place the puff pastry in the hot oven. The liquid in both the butter and the dough evaporated, which allowed the layers to puff.

The butter melts and gives it that golden color and crispy texture.

How to store Puff Pastry

Store-bought puff pastry is recommended to keep in the freezer until ready to be used.  Follow the packaging thawing instructions on the box.

Be sure to wrap any unused portion of pastry tightly in plastic wrap.

Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed

You can find the printable recipe with all the correct ingredient amounts at the bottom of this post.

Puff pastry sheet: Thawded according to packaging directions

Cooked ham: easier to bake as it will not dry out. Medium thick slices.

Philadelphia cheese: let it be at room temperature and mix it up before working with it. Much easier to spread.

Egg: brush over the puff pastry to give it that golden look once out of the oven.

Equipment needed

I only recommend what I use and love. To achieve this recipe, I used the following:

Baking sheet

Silpat or parchment paper

Large cutting board

Rolling pin

Knife

Pastry brush

Serving dish

Baking tips and step by step to make this fantastic Holiday party snack

Have all the ingredients at room temperature before assembling the ham puff pastry.

• Preheat the oven and line your cookie sheet with Silpat of parchment paper to prevent any sticking to your sheet.
• On a flowered surface, roll out the puff pastry. It has to double in size and be evenly thin.
• cut the puff pastry into strips between 3/12 to 4-inch strips wide.
• Slice the ham into 3 even lengthwise strips.

Now on to assembling the puff pastry:

• Spread with the help of a spatula the soft cream cheese on the puff pastry, leaving 1/4 inch space on the outer edge, and add the cooked ham over the cream cheese.
• Gently start rolling the puff pastry, ensuring that the ham stays tucked in, and roll until you reach 1/4 of the puff pastry.
• With your fingers or brush with water and seal gently by pressing down the edges.
• Roll the sealed edge under and, with a sharp chef’s knife, cut into one to one-and-a-half-inch pieces. Place each piece on a baking sheet leaving some room between nibbles.
• With the help of a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg over the nibbles and put them in the oven.
• Bake until the top is nicely golden and they have puffed up.
• Remove from the oven and let them rest before enjoying them.

Can you make this ahead of time?

One of my favorite parts of this appetizer is that you can make it the day before, bring it back to room temperature, and put it back in the hot oven for a couple of minutes to give it that crunch again.

I store mine in an air-tight glass container for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

Storing and reheating instructions

The baked ham and cheese puff pastry can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.

Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place in a hot oven, 350F, for 3 to 4 minutes. As every oven is different, please mind a keen eye on them so as not to burn.

Other uses for puff pastry

The possibilities are endless with puff pastry. It can make cheese, rosemary breadsticks, Mushroom Goat Cheese Tarte, and Pissaladiere.

Used for tarts, pies, and mille-feuilles. You can be pretty creative and use it with fruits and create my famous Blueberry Galette and Apple Tart with Hazelnut and Frangipane.

Variations and substitutions

Instead of ham, you can use:

• Chopped olives,
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• anchovies

If you enjoyed this Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Nibbles, look at some of my other recipes:

Farfalle with Peas, Ham and Cream

Cheddar and Jalapeno Scones

Caramelized Onion And Bacon Tart

Equipment and ingredients used to prepare this dish.

Visit my Amazon Storefront for my selection of favorite kitchen essentials. I only recommend equipment that I use and love.

Please read my privacy policy for more info. I only recommend the products that I love and use. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.