Description
These Spinach Puffs are delightful, flaky pastries filled with a flavorful mix of spinach, garlic, herbs, and a trio of creamy cheeses. Perfect as an appetizer or snack, they feature a golden puff pastry crust baked to perfection, offering a savory and satisfying bite that’s both elegant and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 10 ounces (285g) frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- Zest grated from 1 lemon
- 3 ounces (85g) cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (22g) grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup (45g) crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pastry and Preparation
- 1 sheet puff pastry (about 10 ounces or 285g)
- Vegetable oil (for greasing the muffin pan)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 425°F (220°C) to ensure it reaches the desired temperature for baking the puffs.
- Prepare vegetables: Chop the thawed spinach, dice the onion finely, and mince the garlic cloves.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until it becomes soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds to release the aroma.
- Cook spinach: Add the chopped spinach to the pan and cook until all excess liquid has evaporated, ensuring a non-watery filling.
- Mix filling: Transfer the cooked spinach mixture to a bowl. Add parsley, dill, nutmeg, lemon zest, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese. Stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese. Chill the filling in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to let flavors meld and to cool the mixture.
- Prepare muffin pan: Generously grease a muffin pan with vegetable oil; avoid using muffin liners to allow the pastry to crisp properly.
- Prepare puff pastry: Remove the puff pastry sheet from the fridge. If needed, roll it out slightly to form a rectangle. Cut the pastry into 12 equal squares, arranged as 4 columns by 3 rows.
- Line muffin cups: Place one pastry square into each muffin cup, pressing it gently to fit the shape.
- Fill pastries: Spoon the chilled spinach filling evenly into each pastry-lined cup.
- Form puffs: Bring the four edges of each pastry square towards the center over the filling. Lightly pinch the edges together in the middle, leaving them slightly open without completely sealing.
- Bake: Bake the puffs at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 320°F (160°C) and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden and cooked through.
- Cool and release: Remove the muffin pan from the oven and allow the puffs to cool slightly. Run a knife or small palette knife around the edges of each puff to help release them from the pan.
- Serve: Enjoy your warm, savory spinach puffs as an appetizer or snack.
Notes
- Make sure to fully thaw and squeeze excess water out of the spinach to avoid soggy filling.
- Chilling the filling helps the cheeses set and makes handling easier.
- Do not overfill the pastry cups to prevent the filling from spilling during baking.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper depending on the saltiness of the cheeses used.
- You can substitute fresh spinach leaves if preferred, but cook and drain them thoroughly before use.
- If puff pastry is too thick, roll it gently to the recommended size for better puffing.
