Puff Pastry with Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Puff pastry  is  the ingredient that makes the simple and/or ordinary dishes, such as ham and cheese sandwiches, a little more special. It’s a light, buttery, and flaky dough used in making croissants, palmiers, turnovers, beef Wellington, and tarts.  It is also known as Pâté feuilletée, in France.  Puff pastry is readily available in the frozen section at the grocery store and specialty stores.  The three main brands I’ve used are Dufour, Trader Joe’s, and Pepperidge Farm.  I like to keep puff pastry on hand in the freezer for whenever it is needed.

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It was a busy Sunday morning at my house preparing for brunch with friends after church. I decided to assemble the puff pastry sandwiches first thing in the morning, and have them ready in the refrigerator to be baked later in the afternoon.  All that was needed when I got back home was to give them a quick brush of egg wash over the top and placed into the oven to bake.

Puff Pastry with Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

print recipe, here
serves 6

Ingredients

2   sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
8   ounces thinly sliced ham, {black forest ham}
6   ounces sliced Swiss cheese or Gruyere cheese
2   tablespoons Dijon mustard
1    large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
all-purpose flour for dusting and rolling puff pastry

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Instructions

step 1   Preheat the oven to 400º and line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

step 2   Dust the work surface with flour, roll one sheet puff pastry to a roughly 9 by 12-inch rectangle, divide and cut it into 6 small rectangles {each approximately 6 by 3-inches}.

step 3   On one half of a little puff pastry rectangle, spread Dijon mustard, leaving about a ½-inch border.  Then layer ham slices and cheese on top of it.

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{My work surface got a little messy after finishing 36 pastry sandwiches}

step 4   Brush pastry border with egg wash, fold the other end of the pastry sheet over ham and cheese to enclose and form a package.   Use the end of the back of a fork to press and crimp decorative design along the edges to seal.  Transfer it on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Repeat steps 3 & 4 for the other 5 puff pastry pieces.

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{They were a bit rough around the edges, but will look great once baked.} 

step 5   Roll out the second puff pastry sheet and repeat steps 2 through 4 to make 6 more sandwiches.

step 6   Brush the puff pastry sandwiches with the egg wash and cut slits with a knife or poke holes with a fork to allow steam to escape.

step 7   Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed.  Let it cool slightly and serve.

Puff pastry sandwiches can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days – be sure to brush on the egg wash before baking.

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For the Sunday brunch I served puff pastry sandwiches,
mixed green salad with strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

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print recipes:
Puff Pastry Sandwiches, click  here
Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, click here

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posted by: Kay