Savory Pumpkin Twists With Puff Pastry
Celebrate pumpkin szn with these Savory Pumpkin Twists stuffed with pumpkin puree, melty fontina cheese, sauteed leeks, and spices!Warm, cheesy, and flaky, these babies are literally the perfect pumpkin appetizers for your Thanksgiving dinner or cozy fall dinner! People will *LOVE* these!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil (or unsalted butter)
- 1 leek (cleaned and chopped)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree (if using store-bought, make sure it's *just* pumpkin puree with no extra ingredients. Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling as it contains sugar. This is just pumpkin that has been steamed, cooked, or roasted and mashed into a puree so you can also make it at home)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 sheets puff pastry (frozen and thawed)
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded Fontina cheese (if you own a kitchen scale, this would be 3.5 oz Fontina cheese so if you have a block of Fontina just weight it and cut it into small cubes)
- 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese (this would be a little less than 1 oz)
Instructions
- Sauté the leeks. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the chopped leek and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sautee for 5-7 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool down while you follow the next steps.
- Season the pumpkin puree. Meanwhile, add the smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt and pepper to your pumpkin puree. Mix and taste, adjust seasonings if desired.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare the puff-pastry. Unroll the two layers of puff-pastry onto a lightly-floured surface. Use a rolling pin dusted with flour to roll out each puff-pastry layer (separately) into 1/8-inch thick (3 mm).
- Add the filling. Using a spatula, spread an even layer of pumpkin puree over the top of the first layer of puff-pastry. Sprinkle with sauteed leeks, Fontina cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Top with the second puff pastry sheet.
- Shape. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the rectangle into 1-inch strips (2.5 cm). Grab each strip and twist the ends, then roll it up into a donut-like shape tucking the end underneath it (use the step-by-step pictures provided in the blog post if you need help). Place the prepared twist on your baking sheet and repeat with the other strips. This process is a bit messy, it's okay if some of the leek or cheese falls out when you're twisting, just pop it back into the twist once you're done shaping it.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and flaky! Do not allow the twists to turn brown! Serve immediately.
Notes
Make-Ahead Instructions: I don't recommend fully making and baking these ahead of time because they're best eaten fresh when the puff pastry is still crispy and flaky and the cheese melty. What you can do is sautee the leeks up to 1-2 days ahead of time (step 1) and store them covered in the refrigerator.
If you want to use your own homemade pumpkin pie puree instead of using store-bought, I would also recommend you make that up to 2-3 days ahead of time and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Storing Instructions: These best eaten fresh when the puff pastry is still crispy and flaky and the cheese melty but you can still store leftovers, if needed. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheating Instructions: Reheat in the oven at 325F (160C) for 5-10 minutes or until hot or in a skillet over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes or until hot, or in a hot panini press for a few minutes (this is what my mother always uses!).
Nutrition
Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 7gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 229mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 3461IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 2mg
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