Savoury Prosciutto Puff Pastry Twists

These savoury prosciutto puff pastry twists make the ideal last-minute party nibble or appetiser, or simply a delicious snack. Buttery, flaky puff pastry teams up with salty prosciutto deliciousness in what just might be the easiest and quickest recipe to date.

I don’t survive solely on sugar, you know? I do realise why my recipes up to now might (totally do) give you that idea. My day-to-day life is actually full of savoury stuff – salads are my go-to lunch (more on that in a later post, suffice it to say I make this 3-ingredient dressing you most definitely want to get your hands on), carrots and hummus are definitely up there on the favourite snacks list, and I make a mean spinach omelette. 

To start off the collection of savoury recipes on The Loopy Whisk, I give you a… non-recipe. If you thought last week’s quick vanilla shortbread cookies were patronisingly simple, these savoury prosciutto puff pastry twists are just plain embarrassing. That won’t (didn’t?) stop me from posting this “recipe”, though – because it’s all in the idea. And as this idea involves buttery, flaky puff pastry paired with the salty deliciousness of prosciutto, and with the puff pastry twists looking a-h-mazing in their rustic, rough-around-the-edges glory… remind me again why I should deprive the world of this “recipe”? Didn’t think so.

Apart from the amazing looks, mouth-watering smell, delicious texture, and exceedingly yummy taste – apart from all this, these are also very quick to make. (I won’t insult your cooking/baking capabilities by pointing out that they are so simple, they are pretty much fail-proof. Unless you burn them. It happens. No biggie. Just say you were going for a barbeque vibe.) These savoury prosciutto puff pastry twists are therefore ideal for a quick last-minute party nibble or appetiser, be that party for many, or… you know, a party for two – just you and the twists.

To make these lovelies, all you have to do is roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle… or actually, scratch that – simply join me in being the epitome of laziness resourcefulness, and buy the pre-rolled puff pastry sheets. Of course, you can make your own puff pastry. In which case you are my new hero and I admire you. Also, get a hobby (just kidding, you’re awesome). 

Next, we’ll cut the puff pastry sheet into thin strips, and will do the same with the prosciutto. Then we’ll lay the prosciutto strips on top of the puff pastry strips – and at this point you’ll realise that the prosciutto is thin and it will start tearing and it will look a mess, but just go along with it and use the small irregular pieces to create a strip. You’ll end up with a lovely prosciutto patchwork (and nobody is looking… if a few pieces mysteriously “disappear”).

Now comes the hardest part of the whole recipe, which is not difficult at all. We will take the ends of each puff pastry and prosciutto strip, hold them one in each hand, and twist in opposite directions, until we get a pretty twist. They will “open up” slightly as they bake, so go right ahead and make the twist a bit tighter than you ultimately want. Also the puff pastry will… well, puff up, and will hide any imperfections. And anyway, we’re going for the rustic-chic here.

Then we’ll bake them, and I dare you to try and look away from the puffy miracle occurring in the oven. The savoury prosciutto puff pastry twists will come out of the oven puffy, flaky and golden, accompanied with the most mouth-watering smell. Disclaimer: these beauties will be hot straight out of the oven (well, duh, but it’s easy to forget in that moment) and I take absolutely no responsibility for any burnt tongues that may (will, inevitably) result. So there you have it – a non-recipe for non-sweet (!) prosciutto puff pastry twists. Here’s another pretty picture to hold you over while they do their puffy thing in the oven. (What do you mean you haven’t started yet? Get going; your tastebuds, and – less likely, if there’s nothing left – your friends and family will thank you.)