Puff Pastry Recipes for a Quiet New Year’s Eve at Home

Last New Year’s Eve I rang in 2020 with dinner and a West End musical, followed by a walk home through the revelatory streets of Central London, capped off by late-night drinks with a friend, the fireworks bursting in the distance.

This year, things are obviously going to be quite different. Instead of watching a show or concert, or getting dressed up to attend a fancy gala, or throwing a raucous party, most of us will be spending a quiet New Year’s Eve at home. And with many festivities scaled-back or cancelled, and massive crowds banned from the biggest celebrations in cities like New York, even the quiet “watch the celebrations on TV” alternative won’t have quite the same gusto this year.

If a quiet New Year’s Eve at home has one major advantage, it’s the opportunity to spend a leisurely evening cooking and indulging in some fantastic foods (and of course a fancy cocktail or a nice bottle of wine!) without the pressure of having to entertain, or having to stretch your food budget to feed a large crowd.

Puff Pastry Party

A package of frozen, store-bought puff pastry is one of the best staples to keep on hand. It’s just so incredibly versatile. Puff pastry can be used to make breakfast items (like these mixed berry hand pies, a.k.a. fancy grown-up Pop Tarts!), lunches and dinners (beef or salmon Wellington; pot pie), tarts and pizzas, and even desserts (puff pastry + Nutella, anyone?) But one of the easiest ways to use puff pastry is to make a variety of simple appetizers.

For the six variations below, I used a total of three sheets of frozen puff pastry. Using a half sheet for each type, I ended up with approximately 6-8 of each variety. I always use a rolling pin to roll the puff pastry sheets just slightly larger and thinner than they come of out the box; you’ll end up with a bit more space from which to cut your shapes.

For all of the varieties below, bake on a parchment-lined tray at 400° F / 205° F for approximately 15 minutes, or until pastry is flaky and golden. Puff pastry appetizers are best served immediately, ideally while still slightly warm.

Pesto & Sundried Tomato Pinwheels

What you’ll need: Puff pastry, pesto (store-bought or homemade; I used the Barilla brand); chopped sundried tomatoes (the kind packaged in oil); grated Parmesan cheese; egg wash.

What to do: Cut puff pastry sheet into a rectangular shape. Spread a thin layer of pesto over entire rectangle. Add a layer of sundried tomatoes, followed by a generous sprinkling of Parmesan. Roll puff pastry lengthwise, forming a tube shape. Use a sharp knife to cut the tube into 1-inch / 2.5-centimeter slices. Place on parchment-lined tray. Lightly egg wash the outside edges, and bake until golden.

Cheddar, Olive, & Tomato Triangles

What you’ll need: Puff pastry, grated cheddar cheese, sliced olives (black or green will both work nicely), chopped tomato, egg wash.

What to do: Cut puff pastry sheet into squares, at least 5 inches / 13 centimeters or so in size. Place cheese, olives, and tomato on half of the square, and fold over to create a triangle shape. Place triangles on parchment-lined tray. Egg wash the tops of each triangle, and use a fork to crimp the edges. Bake until golden.

Everything Bagel Bites

What you’ll need:  Puff pastry, everything bagel seasoning, egg wash.

What to do: Use a small round cutter (I chose one about 2 inches / 5 centimeters in diameter) to cut puff pastry into discs. Egg-wash discs and sprinkle generously with everything bagel seasoning; flip discs and to the same on the other side. Transfer to parchment-lined tray and bake until golden. (Note: Although you’ll be tempted to arrange your discs on the tray before sprinkling the seasoning; it’s much better to add your seasoning and then transfer to a tray. Otherwise, you’ll end up with lots of loose seeds on the tray, which will burn quickly in the oven.)

Brie & Onion Palmiers

What you’ll need: Puff pastry, brie cheese, onions, olive oil or butter, balsamic vinegar, egg wash.

What to do: Slice onions into thin rings. Add oil/butter to a saucepan and caramelise over low heat (“low and slow”) until onions are soft, fragrant, and caramel-colored, about 15-20 minutes. (You can add a teaspoon or two of sugar to speed the process along, but this isn’t strictly necessary!)

While onions cool, slice brie and distribute evenly over a square-shaped sheet of puff pastry. Sprinkle with onions, followed by a light drizzling of balsamic vinegar. Fold puff pastry over, slice, and shape into palmiers. (This process is a bit confusing to describe, so if you’ve never made a palmier before, I suggest having a look at this tutorial for guidance. The fillings are different, but the steps are the same!) Egg wash edges and bake on a parchment-lined tray until golden.

Chili & Parmesan Cheese Twists

What you’ll need: Puff pastry, grated Parmesan cheese, sea salt, chili powder, cayenne powder, egg wash.

What to do: Brush puff pastry sheet with egg wash. Sprinkle with chili powder, cayenne, and sea salt, followed by a generous amount of Parmesan. Flip pastry over and do the same on the reverse side. Cut pastry into .5-inch / 1.25-centimeter strips, twist gently, and transfer to parchment-lined sheet. (You can also skip the twisting step if you prefer more of a “cheese straw” shape). Bake until golden.

Brie & Cranberry Cups

What you’ll need: Puff pastry, brie cheese, cranberry jam or relish (if you don’t have cranberry, fig or cherry preserves would work nicely here, too), fresh rosemary, pecan halves, egg wash.

What to do: Cut brie cheese into cubes (one for each pastry you’re making), about 1 in / 2.5 cm in size. Place cubes on a parchment-lined plate and freeze for ten minutes. Meanwhile, generously grease a standard-size muffin tin. Cut puff pastry into squares, about 5 in / 13 cm or so in size. Press one square into each muffin tin cup. Add a spoonful of jam to each cup, followed by a frozen brie cube. Top each with a sprinkling of chopped fresh rosemary and one or two pecan halves. Egg wash edges and bake until golden. (Note: If you remove your pastries from the muffin tin and the bottoms still look a bit underbaked, simply transfer to a parchment-lined tray and return to the oven for a few minutes more.)

The recipes above are simply guidelines—feel free to be creative, and adapt these to your tastes! There are no exact sizes here; you can cut your squares and rectangles as small or as large as you’d like them to be. And as an added bonus, if you’re facing empty grocery shelves or just don’t fancy a NYE trip to the supermarket, all of these are easy to adapt to whichever ingredients you happen to have in the pantry. Here are a few suggestions:

Topping & Filling Suggestions

Nuts & seeds (pecans, walnuts, poppy seeds, sesame seeds)
Cheeses (just about any kind, from brie to bleu cheese to cheddar; even cream cheese is nice!)
Sauces (pizza sauce, pesto, salsa, chutney)
Vegetables (onions, peppers, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes…just about anything goes here!)
Fruit (berries, peaches, apples)
Beans (baked beans and cheddar in puff pastry is a personal fave!)
Jams & preserves (fig, cranberry, marmalade)
Meat & seafood (anchovies, salmon)
Dates & figs (or other types of dried fruits)
Preserved & pickled things (olives, capers, roasted red peppers, pickled jalapeños, pimientos)
Fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil)
Sweet fillings (Nutella, jam, sweetened nut butters, chocolate)

If you make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making.

Let’s cross our fingers that 2021 will bring better days for everyone. Happy New Year!