I love using puff pastry. When I had some friends over for a Mexican taco bar, I used some puff pastry to make “cheater” sopapillas but they actually tasted like Taco Bell’s cinnamon twisties. Double win! (Do they still make those? If not, that tells you how long it’s been since I’ve been to Taco Bell.) This meant I had a spare roll of puff pastry left to use. I wanted to experiement to see if this idea I had for stuffed breadsticks using the flaky dough would work. We sure thought they did!
Now there are a few things I’d do differently next time. I’d go ahead and cut the dough in half, then make the cuts vertically. They’re a little unweildy to work with when they’re that long and new colorful language may be created. I’d probably work in a half batch, get another cookie sheet to put the half I’m not working with in the fridge to stay cool then flip flop them when I’m ready to do the second half. The dough got warm quicker than I would’ve liked which is why there were some “cheesesplosions” with a few. I wasn’t going to go out and buy more and re-record it when you can just read the tip here. Either way works though so if you want a super mondo pesto puff, I won’t stop you! (Plus I can’t have more of those lying around willy nilly or they’d be in my belly welly!)
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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C17XIlJYtg&w=560&h=315 ]
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- 3/4 cup gruyere or preferred cheese
- 1 egg (+ 1 tbsp water for an egg wash)
Instructions
- Thaw puff pastry according to instructions.
- Preheat oven according to your puff pastry box. (Mine was 400 degrees)
- Cut pastry in half lengthwise and place on another cookie sheet. Make 2" strips for a total of six strips then place in the fridge or freezer. Repeat with other piece of dough and begin working on it.
- Add 1 1/2 tbsp of pesto to the dough and spread over the dough. (A silicone brush works best.)
- Use a small spatula to loosen the dough strips.
- To a dough strip, starting 1/2" from the end add cheese to the middle leaving enough room on each side to seal it.
- Pinch the sides together starting at one end and moving to the other. Flip the ends up and pinch close. Repeat with other dough strips and place into the fridge or freezer. Grab the other cookie sheet of dough and repeat process. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or freeze for 5 minutes.
- Remove cookie sheet from the fridge (or freezer), move all dough sticks to the same cookie sheet leaving 2" between each one.
- Flip the dough seam side down. Make an egg wash and brush on top of the dough.
- Bake according to puff pastry instructions and possibly a minute or two longer.
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14 Comments
I must be craving puff pastry because this is the 5th one that caught my eye this morning! haha, theses sure sound delish, Im very curious to try them out! ps found you at The country cook link party
The universe is trying to tell you something! 😀
I used to LOVE those cinnamon things at Taco Bell. I have no idea if they still have them either; I will have to ask Anna, she is a TB expert. Taco Bell, not tuberculosis.
These look amazing! I love any recipe that you have to dip or that includes a dip of some sort.
Also, I am jealous that I don’t live close enough to get to enjoy your Mexican Taco Bar. I bet you’d be an amazing neighbor.
Me too, those cinnamon twisties were AWESOME! I hope she’s not a TB expert like that. 😉 Dipping makes everything more fun. I sure think so but something tells me my actual neighbors would disagree because they’re freaks. Bwaahahaha!
Wow – never thought of using pesto and puff pastry. Like this recipe.
I must say, it turned out quite delicious!
Those look so yummy! I love using puff pastry sheets on my pot pies and things but I never thought of combining it with pesto. Pinned.
Thanks so much! I’m so glad I had that sheet left so I could experiment!
What a great idea! These look delicious! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Thank you so much!
I love anything with pesto and it sounds oh so good with flaky puff pastry! 🙂
Pesto is one of those things I usually buy it for one recipe then I forget about it. I was determined not to let that happen with this jar! 😀
Well, there ya go! That looks absolutely delicious, so I’m gonna have to give it a go! Whatcha think? I’ll have to let you know how they turned out! Thanks for sharing!
I think you’re gonna love ’em! I’m having some with lasagna this weekend!