School lunches can lose their lure, even when you have the kids pack it for themselves in hope that it will hype them into wanting to ravenously dig in and finish their packed lunch. And sometimes in the evening, this mom of two just wants to chill out and not lift a finger. Can you relate dear reader? These ham and ricotta puff pastry pockets are perfect not just for packed lunch, but for dinner too. But there’s more!
You don’t need to make the puff pastry yourself. Buy it, freeze it, and leave it to thaw for the next day when you roll and fill the pastry pockets. And if you want to make these a day ahead you can too, just fill them up and leave them covered in the fridge to bake the next day. How cool and easy is that?
I know the ‘tongue wag’ about handling puff pastry. Cold hands and bla bla. And as much as that is true, I will say that it was quite straightforward to make these ham and ricotta puff pastry pockets.
Ham and Ricotta Puff Pastry Pockets Ingredients
Ricotta: There are different textures of ricotta. For this recipe, I used one that is more on the dry side. It was crumbly, unlike the soft and smooth one I mostly use for pasta sauces and pizza base. The reason for that was to avoid the puff pastry being soggy.
Ham: Opt for a cooked ham that is thinly sliced. This will make it easier for you to roughly chop and roll in preparation for filling.
Parmesan: Yes, this is one ingredient that always finds a way of featuring in most of my recipes. Hahaha I guess the only place left is desserts. Anyway, I use parmesan for this recipe but if you have some Parmigiano Reggiano then by all means use that as a substitute.
I suggest you add the ham and parmesan to the ricotta and give that a good mix before sprinkling in the salt bit by bit. Why? Because parmesan and ham are both salty, so adding in the salt last gives you control over how salty the filling is.
How to Make Ham and Ricotta Puff Pastry Pockets
Step 1: Make the mixture, roll it into a square then wrap it with cling film and store it in the fridge.
Step 2: Roll out the puff pastry and cut out the measured filling to the individual puff pastry leaving about 1 cm gap between the edge and the filling. Use a pastry brush to lightly spread the egg glaze on the gap.
Then cover and gently press on the edges to stick the top fold to the bottom puff pastry fold. And lastly, use a fork to press on the edges all around the puff pastry.
Step 3: Put the ham and ricotta puff pastry in the fridge and bake after it has chilled for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will depend on how long you were working on the pastry and the temperature in the room.
The other alternative is to leave the ham and ricotta puff pastry pockets in the fridge overnight, covered. Then bake the next day.
And simple as that, you have ham and ricotta puff pastry pockets that are flaky on the outside, and a little soft on the inside with a filling that is so delicious I wouldn’t blame you if your mind was racing with all sorts of ideas on where else you could sandwich it in.
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Ham and Ricotta puff pastry pockets
(+15 rating, 3 votes)
Loading...Puff pastry pockets made with ricotta, parmesan, and ham filling.
Ingredients
- 160g ricotta
- 45g Parmesan
- 90g cooked ham
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500g puff pastry
- 1 small egg for glazing
Instructions
FILLING***
Crumble the ricotta and add the grated parmesan, freshly ground black pepper, and olive oil. Use a spatula to properly mix before adding in the finely chopped ham.
Tip the mixture onto cling film and spread it out with your fingers, then roll to even it out into a square with a thickness of the same height as a beer bottle cap. Store in the fridge
ROLLING THE PUFF PASTRY***
Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface into 13 by 13-inches, and use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to divide it into 8 equal pieces
ASSEMBLE***
Divide the rolled out filling to fit 4 pieces, ensuring at least 1 cm space between the filling and edge of the puff pastry
After the filling is laid on the puff pastry, whisk a whole egg, and using a pastry brush, lightly spread a thin layer on the edges of the pastry.
Then cover it and press on the edges using your index finger or thumb. And after that, use a fork to press on the edges
Use a sharp knife to make 4 incisions across the top of the pastry.
Lay the puff pastry pockets on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover with cling film, and leave to cool in the fridge for an hour or overnight if you prefer.
BAKE***
Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F in a convection oven.
Lightly glaze the puff pastry pockets with the whisked egg
Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the baking tray halfway through.
Leave to cool and serve, leftovers can be stored in the fridge and be reheated in the oven.
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