Thanksgiving & Christmas may be long gone, but cranberry season is still in full effect around my household. So if you too are a fan of this seasonal berry and happen to be hosting a New Year’s Eve party this Tuesday, I’ve got a great two-ingredient, appetizer perfect for ringing in 2025!
Frozen puff pastry is one of my absolute favorite ingredients, and I always make sure to have plenty of it in stock during the holidays since nothing beats a warm , flaky pastry straight out of the oven. My cranberry, goat cheese squares take no time at all to prepare and look beautiful on any holiday platter.
INGREDIENTS
- Puff Pastry [ 1 Sheet ]
- Cranberry Goat Cheese [ 1 Log ]
TOOLS
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Oven
EXTRAS
- Honey
- Hot Honey
- Maple Syrup
- Balsamic Glaze
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
YIELD
This recipe makes 6-9 pastries. Simply double or triple the ingredients to make more.
Step One
Have fun!
Step Two
Defrost your puff pastry sheet in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 30-45 minutes.
Step Three
Preheat your oven to 400° once your puff pastry is defrosted.
Step Four
Unwrap the pre-made dough, and place the sheet onto a lightly floured work surface.
Cut the dough into squares that measure roughly 2 inches on each side. The day I made these pastries, I was able to get 9 squares from the sheet I was using.
Once cut into squares, you can use a small knife to gently score each pastry with a slightly smaller square shape for added dimension.
Step Five
Use a sharp knife to slice the goat cheese into 1/4″ rounds.
If you have 9 squares, cut 9 slices of cheese. If you have 6 squares, cut 6 slices – and so on. Goat cheese can be a bit crumbly so don’t worry if your slices aren’t perfect.
Step Six
Grab a nonstick baking sheet OR line a standard tray with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, foil works just as well.
Place your pastry onto the tray. Be sure not to overcrowd the squares so they have enough room to expand in the oven. I typically place no more than 6 pastries onto a single baking sheet and use a second tray for the rest.
Step Seven
Once your dough is on the baking sheet, place a round of goat cheese into the center of each pastry square.
Add any fallen cranberries or goat cheese crumbles onto the round as well so nothing goes to waste 🙂
Step Eight
Pop the assembled appetizers into the freezer for 2-5 minutes. This will allow the butter in the dough to get nice & cold once more which will in turn make the pastry extra flaky and puffy.
Step Nine [ Optional ]
If you want to add an egg wash to the pastries before baking, feel free. This classic technique will aid in browning and also add a glossy finish to your puffs. I used to incorporate this step but rarely do so anymore.
Step Ten
Bake your pastries for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Step Eleven
Remove the pastries from the oven, and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.
Step Twelve
If you’d like – feel free to adorn these beauties with some freshly cracked, black pepper and fresh thyme. You can even drizzle the pastries with some honey, maple syrup, balsamic glaze, or even a touch of extra virgin olive oil.
Step Thirteen
Plate up your puffs & enjoy!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
If you’re not a fan of cranberry goat cheese, keep things savory and use an herbed goat cheese or plain goat cheese instead.
Once baked, you can top the pastries with a drizzle of flavored olive oil, pesto, chimichurri, chili crisp, harissa, or whatever fun condiment you have laying around. The opportunities are endless.
For a Mushroom & Cheese puff pasty recipe – click here.
Happy Cooking & Happy Holidays!
HOMEMADE IN LA 