This Upside Down Tomato and Herb Puff Pastry recipe takes inspiration from the viral puff pastry hack. These savory pastries are made with a delicious combo of tomato, herbs, and garlic and herb cheese.
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Have you seen that viral upside-down puff pastry square hack going around social media? Ingredients are layered on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Then, puff pastry dough is placed on top of the layered ingredients. When baked, all of the ingredients come together in a golden, flaky pastry square.
This hack seems quite popular for fruit filled upside-down pastry squares. But I love all things savory. So with summer coming up, I decided to make tomato and herb puff pastry squares. Something simple that I can make on repeat when our garden is bursting with homegrown Jersey tomatoes and herbs! It’s a genius idea!
This puff pastry square recipe only uses a handful of ingredients. First, slices of tomato are tossed with olive oil, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper. Then, they’re placed on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
A puff pastry sheet is cut into rectangles and spread with garlic and herb cheese. The dough is then layered over the tomatoes, cheese-side-down, and baked until golden brown and flaky.
Flip the puff pastry squares over after baking and sprinkle salt on top. If you’d like to get extra fancy, top the pastries with some shaved Parmesan cheese before serving.
Upside Down Tomato and Herb Puff Pastry
The great thing about these puff pastry squares is that baking them upside-down allows the puff pastry dough to rise and really get light and flaky. Plus, by baking the fresh tomatoes underneath the dough, the pastry won’t become soggy. It really is a clever hack!
So here we go! First, we’re going to preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, toss sliced tomato with olive oil, salt and pepper, and fresh herbs (I used rosemary and thyme). Smaller tomatoes like on-the-vine tomatoes would work better for this recipe.
Place the tomato slices on the baking sheet, overlapping them close together so they’ll be tightly layered underneath the puff pastry.
Next, cut a puff pastry sheet into four equal pieces. Spread the puff pastry dough with garlic and herb cheese spread.
Then, place the dough on top of the tomato and herbs, pressing each side down onto the baking sheet. Pierce the top of each puff pastry with a fork and brush with egg wash.
Bake the pastries for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and flaky. Then, use a spatula to flip them over and allow them to cool a bit.
Serve the puff pastry while they’re still warm. And if you’d like, add some shaved Parmesan cheese on top before serving.
Ingredients
- 12 tomato slices
- 2 tbsp. fresh herbs, like rosemary or thyme
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- 4 tbsp. garlic and herb cheese spread
- Egg wash
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional: shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the tomato slices, fresh herbs, and olive oil to a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss together.
- Layer the tomato slices onto the baking sheet, tucking the slices close together.
- Cut the puff pastry sheet into four even pieces.
- Spread the garlic and herb cheese onto each piece of puff pastry.
- Then, place the puff pastry over the tomatoes, spread-side-down, and press down on each side.
- Pierce the top of the dough with a fork. Then, brush the top of the puff pastry with egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and flaky,
- Remove from oven. Flip the puff pastry over with a spatula and allow to cool.
- Serve warm with shaved Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
The possibilities are pretty much endless with this upside down puff pastry hack! But these tomato and herb pastries would be a delicious appetizer or brunch option for summer.
Did you make this Upside Down Tomato and Herb Puff Pastry recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!
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