Whether you are looking for an easy appetizer or simply a delicious lunch or dinner idea, you can’t go wrong with my French inspired Ham, Apple and Brie Puff Pastry Tarts. These delicious savoury pastries or tarts are quite the mouthful and satisfying to boot! Flavourful, buttery and flaky pastry surrounds a layer of Dijon mustard, sliced ham and tart apples. It gets better - the apples are topped off with a piece of rich and creamy Brie cheese and a sprinkling of fresh and floral thyme.
My Puff Pastry Tarts with Ham, Apple & Brie recipe is so delicious that you and your guests will be helping themselves to seconds or thirds! So, you might just have to make a second batch!
Puff pastry can be labour intensive but using store-bought puff pastry really speeds up the prep time and simplifies the overall process. These little gems come together in under 40 minutes, couldn’t be easier to make and are the perfect appetizer for just about any occasion! Why wait for a special occasion, indulge and make my Puff Pastry Tarts with Ham, Apple & Brie just because you deserve it! So, grab a spoon and come and cook with me! Happy Baking!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 - 24 minutes
Total Time: 30 - 34 minutes
Serves: 4 - 8
Ingredients:
1 roll frozen puff pastry (227g) (See Notes below)
1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, for dusting
4 tsp Dijon mustard
125g (4 slices) cooked ham, thinly sliced and cut in half widthwise (See Notes below)
1/2 Granny Smith apple (24 slices), cut into 1/8 inch slices
50g (8 slices) Brie cheese, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1 egg
1 Tbsp milk
Instructions:
Defrost or thaw 1 roll of puff pastry in accordance with package instructions.
Preheat the oven to 400F and set aside a 11” x 17” baking sheet.
To a small bowl, crack an egg and add 1 Tbsp milk. Whisk until fully incorporated and set aside.
Lay a 11” x 17” piece of parchment paper onto your counter or cutting board and dust it with flour. Then, roll the puff pastry out onto the parchment paper.
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the pastry dough it into 8 rectangles, measuring 2.5”x 5” in size. Then, score a 1/2 inch border around each of the rectangles, creating a smaller inner rectangle.
Transfer the parchment paper, along with the pastry dough, to the baking sheet. Leave 1/2 inch of space between each of the rectangles, as they will puff up as they bake.
Add 1/2 tsp mustard to the centre of each of the pastries and, using a small spoon, spread it evenly across the base of the inner rectangle.
Lay a slice of ham (folded over itself 2 times) over the mustard, followed by 3 slices of apple (overlapping) and a piece of brie. Repeat the process for the remaining 7 tarts.
Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash onto the 1/2 inch borders.
Sprinkle thyme over top and transfer the puff pastries or tarts to the oven to bake for 20 - 24 minutes or until golden in colour and cooked through.
Remove the tarts from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a serving platter or plate and serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Puff Pastry Dough: For this recipe, I use store-bought puff pastry dough, measuring 10” x 10” in size.
Dusting the Parchment Paper with Flour: Puff Pastry is inherently quite sticky. Adding a light dusting or coating of flour to your parchment paper will ensure that the dough doesn't stick, making it easily transferable.
Scoring the Dough: Using a sharp knife, such as a paring knife, you want to create a bit of an indentation in the dough. This will allow the borders to puff up ever so slightly, while keeping the rest of the ingredients in place. Just be sure to avoid slicing all the way through the dough.
What Kind of Ham Should I Use?!: Thinly sliced oven roasted ham, Black Forest ham and Prosciutto Cotto all work beautifully in this recipe. However, if you’re not a fan of pork, you can certainly substitute it with other cold cuts, such as thinly sliced roasted chicken or turkey.