Italian Apricot Pastries with Cheddar

Italian Apricot Pastries with Cheddar

Serves 6

Ingredients

11 oz. Kowalski's Dried Apricots (from the Bulk Foods Section)
- hot water, as needed
½ pkg. (1 sheet) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed but still cold
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- zest of 1 lemon
¾ tsp. kosher salt
⅓ cup Kowalski's Pure Honey, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus small sprigs for garnish
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. water
- turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
4 oz. Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze Cheddar Cheese (from the Specialty Cheese Department), cut into 8 slices
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Directions
  1. Soak apricots for 20 min. in a shallow baking dish with just enough hot water to cover. When done, drain apricots and squeeze to remove extra liquid; set aside.
  2. While apricots soak, cut a pastry sheet into 6 rectangles (about 4 ½ x 3 ½" each); arrange 1" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 5 min.
  3. Using a butter knife, lightly score a ½" border around the edges of the pastry sheets.
  4. Prick the center of each pastry sheet all over with a fork; brush with egg wash. Set prepared pastry sheets aside.
  5. Preheat oven to 375°.
  6. Coarsely chop drained apricots.
  7. In a medium mixing bowl, toss chopped apricots with walnuts, zest, salt, honey, lemon juice and thyme leaves.
  8. Divide apricot-nut mixture evenly among pastries, taking care to stay inside the scored borders (if mixture drips or falls off the pastry onto the baking sheet, it will burn).
  9. Sprinkle borders of pastry sheet with sugar.
  10. Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden (about 20-22 min.); let stand for 10 min.
  11. Transfer pastries to individual serving plates. Drizzle with honey; garnish with a slice of cheese and fresh thyme sprig.

Tasty Tip:

  • The topping for these pastries makes a delicious mix-in for plain Greek yogurt.