By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(560)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Arguably better than pigs in blankets — or, at least, more elegant — these, flaky hors d’oeuvres will be the first things to disappear at a party. The filling of chopped dried figs and prosciutto or salami is a balanced mix of savory and sweet, but feel free to substitute other dried fruit, like apricots, raisins or cranberries, for the figs. And if you can find all-butter puff pastry, it really makes a difference here, adding a deeply golden color and rich flavor.
Featured in: 3 Simple Ways to Turn Frozen Puff Pastry Into the Ultimate Party Starter
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Ingredients
Yield:About 2 dozen
- 1cup/8 ounces dried figs, stems trimmed
- Boiling water
- All-purpose flour, for rolling
- 1(14-ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 4ounces thinly sliced prosciutto or soppressata salami, coarsely chopped
- 1egg, beaten
- 3tablespoons grated Parmesan
- Ground fennel seeds or black pepper, or a combination, for topping
- Mustard, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Place figs in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until soft and pliable, 5 to 10 minutes, then drain well. Coarsely chop and set aside. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step
2
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled puff pastry out about ⅛ inch thick to form a 13-by-11-inch rectangle. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the pastry in half lengthwise so you have two long rectangles. Evenly divide the figs between the rectangles, spreading them into a 1-inch-wide strip that runs down the center of the pastry. Mound prosciutto on top of the figs.
Step
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Lightly brush the long edges of the pastry with egg wash. Firmly fold the pastry over the filling to form long rolls. Cut each roll in half crosswise, then slice into 1-inch pieces and place them on the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Cover with plastic or parchment and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.
Step
4
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush the top of each roll with beaten egg and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and a pinch of fennel seeds or black pepper or both. Bake until golden brown, about 25 to 35 minutes. Serve with mustard on the side for dipping if you like. These are best served warm or at room temperature on the day of baking, but leftovers will keep for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Ratings
4
out of 5
560
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Cooking Notes
WB
Wait … is anyone else confused by the folding/cutting directions?
Liz
Delicious but skip the mustard, I mean the wrong taste to accompany figs. Use a syrupy balsamic vinegar if people need a dip.
Krysten Chambrot, Associate Editor, New York Times Cooking
Hi, BB! Thank you for flagging. We've updated the recipe: You slice them before baking.
eb
I'm still confused about the cutting directions. Why do we cut a roll in half before slicing into 1 inch pieces? Couldn't a whole roll still be sliced into 1 inch pieces? And then how do you put it on the cutting board "seam side down"? In my mind I'm picturing balancing a dime or penny on it's edge, which seems very confusing. Is that what we are supposed to do?
kay
Step 3 says these can be refrigerated up to 6 hours. What adjustments would be required to have success if one wanted to make these a day in advance through step 3 (and bake just before serving)?
RebeccaBB
I made these as written with the addition of fresh goat cheese smeared on the pastry, then a layer of Turkish fig spread (no time to make jam), then the layer of prosciutto and topped with black pepper. Agree that the recipe is unclear about shaping and cutting. I rolled mine into two long ropes for a pinwheel. Cut the long rolls in half bc it makes it easier to carry them and fit them the freezer and fridge. Finally I cut them into bite sized pieces right before baking, cut side down. 5*
BB
You have two long rolls, then cut them in half. When do you slice them into rounds? Before or after baking?
Deborah
Tip: Trader Joe's carries all-butter puff pastry that is excellent - but only available during the winter holidays. Stock up your freezer while you can!
Laurie
Should the rolls be cut into bite size pieces before or after baking?
Hasan
In Step 3, if cutting into one-inch pieces, why cut the rolls in half first? Does that add something? Not sure what I'm missing here...
Sarah
It helps to put the rolls in the freezer for 30 min before cutting into 1" slices. Use a serrated knife. On a general note, though, for recipes like this with somewhat complicated construction, it would be super helpful to have a video. Also, some puff pastry packages are differently configured....My little puff pastry hors d'oeuvres are twice the size as the ones in the photo, despite careful measuring, rolling and placement, haha....again, please make a video....
Barbara Barran
Delicious, but a bit dry. I served them with Dijon honey mustard. I'm wondering if adding some fig jam to the dough before adding the filling would work.
TRB
I couldn’t find any dried figs but used dates. Sweet and tasty.
Avy
After reading helpful hints, I decided to battle the concern about dryness by simmering half the figs and pulsing in food processor to mix with the chopped figs rather than fig jam which could add to the sweetness some people mentioned. I sprinkled 50 grams of blue cheese on top before folding. Topped with suggestion of parmesan, fennel seeds ground and black pepper, It was a hit at the party! Leftovers wrapped in tea towel the next morning were tasty and pastry still flakey.
Jennifer
I will add, they are like grown up fig newtons!
abpenn
Delicious! Mine took more than 10 minutes longer to bake than noted (I opted for the freezing method) - I went by eye on the pastry doneness. I also cut them into individual rolls after freezing rather than before. But the ratios and taste were great.
Jennifer
I just made this recipe using refrigerated crescent roll dough. The directions on cutting are wonky. Just add the filling to long strips, fold, pinch, cut to size and more pinching to contain the filling. I added honey goat cheese and this made them better. They are okay.
Luke S
Loved this recipe. Like some other commenters, I added goat cheese, and I thought it was a great addition. Next time, I’ll use slightly fewer figs and even more goat cheese.
Charlie
I agree with some of the comments that a fig jam or jelly would be preferable over figs alone. It needs a bit more sweetness along with the savory prosciutto.
Jessica
These are good! I used prosciutto and added fig jam per the comments - I definitely think it was the move. I saw a couple people used goat cheese as well and I think it would be a good way for the filling to meld together instead of being crumbly. Overall the flavor is good — i think the puff pastry I bought was a little sketchy but I’ll try one of the more mainstream ones next time.
September Forsyth
When you cut a roll in half, it’s easier to then cut the proper sized pieces. When you start at one end, there is more of a chance that you’ll have pieces that are more narrow or large than the others. Cut roll in half, and then cut the two rolls in half continue until you have the yield for that roll.…all of your pieces when you are finished cutting should be the same size. And, as I understand it, you do cut before baking. Hope this is helpful!
Angela Gyetvan
I feel like this was good, but needs a little something- something. I added a bit of fig jam based on the note that said the puffs were a little dry. And I think next time I’ll go with poppy seeds rather than fennel. I also feel a mustard/balsamic dipping sauce would be a good addition, rather than just straight mustard. Will try again at some point. Used Trader Joe’s puff pastry, BTW.
Fiona
I have frozen one of the “logs” and just used the other. These are a huge hit with everyone.
Barbara Barran
Delicious, but a bit dry. I served them with Dijon honey mustard. I'm wondering if adding some fig jam to the dough before adding the filling would work.
Mary
I just made them and am thinking the same about fig jam rather than the diced figs.
PABlues
Made today as written using sopresseta but felt like they still needed something. The commenter’s goat cheese schmear is a great idea for next time. I found the fennel/black pepper/ parmesan topper critical.
Sandy
I eagerly anticipated making these and was frustrated when I couldn’t find puff pastry in the stores. Finally got some, made them for New Years Eve as we were having friends over. And - blah. They were ok but not great, and not a “keeper” in the opinion of all of us.
Joanne
Delicious, but difficult to cut neatly. I used both prosciutto and salami because I had only about 2 ounces of prosciutto. Even though it was a struggle to cut, I’ll make this again because it was so good.
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