Puff Pastry Tart with Brie, Gruyere & Pepper Jelly

OK, we're going to be straight with you. This recipe is not light. It’s not healthy. It's a delightfully rich & decadent once a year type of app. But 100% worth it!

Frozen puff pastry is rolled out and par baked, then layered with sweet pepper jelly, thinly sliced brie and grated Gruyere, baked again, then topped with crispy prosciutto. Sigh, mmmm. AND, you can brighten it up with some fresh herbs and pomegranate arils if you like. (Yes, we know the pomegranate seeds are not in the photo, we forgot, ok? It's the holidays...there's a lot going on! Can we just pretend they're on there? See how pretty that looks? Stunning! LOL.)

We recommend pairing with our 2022 Sans Soufre Mourvedre or 2021 Skal Sparkling Rosé (which conveniently pairs well with just about anything!).

Puff Pastry Tart with Brie, Gruyere & Pepper Jelly

Recipe by Tanya Miller

Serves: 6-8

Recommended wine pairings: 2019 Vineyard Series Stoneridge or 2020 The Don

INGREDIENTS:

• Frozen puff pastry, thawed (follow package directions)

• ¾ c grated Gruyere cheese

• ~ 4 oz triple creme brie, sliced

• ~ ⅓- ½ c red pepper jelly (we used and recommend Something Special Red Chili Pepper Spread, available at Costco)

• 3 oz prosciutto 

• 1 egg, whisked

• ~ 2-3  Tbsp chives, finely chopped 

• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, destemmed

• Optional garnish: Pomegranate arils are an amazing pop of color and tang

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375°. Place prosciutto on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for approx 10-15 min, depending on thickness. Bake until they start to shrivel - keep an eye on them after the 10 min mark, as they can burn quickly. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Once they are cooled they will be nice and crispy. Turn the oven up to 400° for the pastry.

2. Place thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Carefully “open up” the dough. Dust your rolling pin with flour and gently roll out the dough, checking often to be sure it doesn’t stick. If you need to, toss a little flour underneath the dough and continue to roll out until about ⅛ inch thick.

3. Cut off the edges of the pastry with a knife or pizza cutter about ½ inch thick (some will be more, some will be less because it likely won't roll out to a nice, even square). Gently move them an inch or two away from each side. Brush the whisked egg around the perimeter creating about a one inch border. Then pick up the strips and lay them on top of the egg wash “glue”. This will make a border when the pastry puffs up. Pinch all sides together to seal them. As an added touch, crimp with your fingers to make a wavy edge like a pie crust. With the aid of a bench scraper or large spatula, gently loosen the pastry and carefully lift it onto a sheet pan. Dock it with a fork (poke holes all over to help keep the center from puffing up too much). Par bake the dough for 10 min.

4. Spread the pepper jelly evenly over the tart. Lay the pieces of sliced brie on top of the pepper jelly, then sprinkle the shredded Gruyere all around. Bake for approx 15-20 min. Check at the 10 min mark because oven temps vary. In the meantime, crumble prosciutto and set aside.

5. Let cool for 5-10 min, top with crumbled prosciutto, chives and thyme, plus pomegranate aerials, if using. 

6. Serve warm, if possible (it warms nicely in the microwave for a few seconds and the crust stays crispy) with a glass of 2022 Sans Soufre Mourvedre and 2021 Skal Sparkling Rosé. Enjoy!