Servings: 24
Prep Time: 1 hour (30 minutes active)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
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You’re going to love these blackberry goat cheese puff pastry twists!
Made with creamy goat cheese, easy homemade blackberry jam and flaky puff pastry, they’re sprinkled with lemon-thyme sugar that adds the perfect finish.
These yummy twists make a perfect appetizer, snack or even a fun dessert. They’re a big crowd pleaser!
What’s in these Blackberry Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Twists
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to create these puff pastry appetizers:
- Fresh blackberries. If they’re out of season, frozen berries will work too. Just be sure to thaw them first.
- Frozen puff pastry. You can find puff pastry sheets in the freezer section of your grocery store.
- Goat cheese
- Sugar
- Lemons
- Fresh thyme
- Egg
How to Make Blackberry Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Twists
Make the Blackberry Jam
Wait till you see how easy it is to make homemade jam!
First, put the blackberries into a saucepan with water, lemon juice and sugar. Cook the mixture down until the berries get soft and it starts to thicken. Use a wooden spoon to mash the berries.
The entire cooking process should take about 30 minutes, and the jam will thicken as it cools.
Thaw the Puff Pastry
While the jam is cooling, take the store-bought puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw. You want to let it thaw for about 30-40 minutes.
Don’t try to unfold the puff pastry sheets during this time or they could break.
Roll out the Pastry and Spread the Fillings
Once you’ve got defrosted puff pastry and cooled jam, it’s time to create our twists.
First, roll out the puff pastry into a larger rectangle that is approximately 12″ long. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect.
Dot the surface of the puff pastry with the tangy goat cheese. Then, spread the jam over the surface.
This will be messy!
Form the Twists
Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to make 1″ slices in the dough. Now you should have 12 long strips. Fold each dough strip in half, gently pressing down to hold in the fillings.
Now, hold each strip by its ends and gently twist while also pulling it longer to stretch it. This will be messy, and if any cheese falls out, just stuff it back in.
Arrange the twists on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Finish with Lemon-Thyme Sugar
Combine the lemon zest, fresh thyme and raw sugar together in a small bowl.
Brush the puff pastry twists with beaten egg and sprinkle with the lemon-thyme sugar. Now, bake!
How to Serve these Blackberry Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Twists
When serving puff pastry twists, puff pastry tarts, or anything handheld, it’s important to let them cool before serving.
If you try to serve them right away, the flaky pastry will be floppy and won’t hold its shape. So, be patient and let them cool for 15-20 minutes.
Variations and Substitutions
There are many ways to customize this easy appetizer to suit your tastes and time of year:
1. Cream Cheese Twists. Not a fan of goat cheese? Try cream cheese instead. It has a similar creaminess with less tang.
2. Brie Cheese Twists. For a totally different flavor, brie is a great option. Brie is especially nice during the holiday season. Try this recipe using brie and fig jam with a drizzle of honey on top. Also, my apple butter and brie twists are a yummy fall twist on this recipe.
3. Berry Goat Cheese Twists. Experiment with different berries for your jam! Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are all good choices for this goat cheese appetizer. Pair them with fresh basil instead of thyme for the sugar coating – a delicious summery variation.
4. Store Bought Jam. Make this simple appetizer even easier and use your favorite store bought jam.
5. Goat Cheese Tart or Mini Tarts. Keep the ingredients but change the shape! Fill a mini muffin tin with squares of puff pastry dough, cheese and jam to create goat cheese puff pastry bites with the same flavor profile.
Can you make these Blackberry Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Twists ahead of time?
Yes and no. Because of the delicate nature of buttery puff pastry, these delicious appetizers are best served fresh.
However, you can assemble the twists ahead of time and refrigerate them for a few hours, up to overnight.
Bake them an hour before you want to serve them so that they have time to cool.
How to Store Blackberry Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Twists
I’ll just cut right to it: they won’t store well. Or reheat well.
Good news is you probably won’t need to worry about it because they’ll get gobbled up quickly!
When you make these blackberry goat cheese puff pastry twists, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more puff pastry recipes, try these:
- Puff Pastry Apple Dumpling Recipe
- Apple Butter Baked Brie Puff Pastry Twists
- Garden Tomato & Whipped Goat Cheese Tart
Blackberry Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Twists Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package of puff pastry 2 sheets
- 2 cups blackberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 8 oz. goat cheese
- zest of 2 lemons
- 4 tsp. raw sugar
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme minced
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Combine the blackberries, water, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Smash the berries against the sides of the saucepan with a wooden spoon to break them up. Allow to cool to room temperature. (Jam can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator).
- While the jam is cooling, remove the puff pastry from the freezer and thaw at room temperature for 20-25 minutes.
- Using a rolling pin, roll one sheet of puff pastry dough out onto a floured surface in a rectangular shape. It doesn't have to be perfect. Crumble goat cheese and dot 1/2 of it evenly across the dough, followed by 1/2 of the jam.
- Make 12 horizontal slices in the dough, approximately 1" in diameter. Fold the strips in half from top to bottom, so that each strip is now half as long as it was before.
- Holding opposite ends of one strip, twist in opposite directions, gently pulling the dough to stretch it longer as you twist. Repeat this process with each strip and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat the above process with the second sheet of puff pastry.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the lemon zest, sugar and thyme in a small bowl.
- Whisk the egg with 1 Tbsp. of water and brush the twists with the egg wash. Sprinkle the twists with lemon-thyme sugar. Bake 16-18 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
Ramon says
Substituted blackberries with lingonberries and they turned out awesome; were a big hit with everyone who tried them so far.
simmerandsage says
Hi Ramon, lingonberries sound fabulous! Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Shiny says
I found some eggnog goat cheese at Aldi’s and was looking for the right recipe. This was it!! I substituted cranberry jam for the berries and rosemary for the thyme. Perfect fall adaptation. Thank you so much.
simmerandsage says
Wow Shiny I love the adjustments you made for fall! The flavors sound awesome. So glad you enjoyed!
Shaun says
Wry excited to make these!! But curious. If I make them at night to bring to work the next day what is the storage requirements? Do they have to be refrigerated due to the cheese? Do they save well for the next day? Thank you!!
Jackie says
Hi Shaun,
I’m excited for you to make them too! But I have bad news – they don’t keep well! The fridge will ruin them, so I’d say the best you can do is assemble them and refrigerate them at night, then bake them in the morning. By the time you get to work, they will have cooled to the perfect temperature for serving. Puff pastry is fickle – if it’s too hot, the twists will be floppy. Room temperature is the right answer. Hope this helps!