Spicy Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts

| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings | Yield |

|-----------|-----------|------------|----------|-------|

| 10 minutes | 15 minutes | 25 minutes | 4 | 4 individual tarts |

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, fully thawed

• 6 tablespoons hot pepper jelly, portioned separately

• Half a standard block (≈4oz) cream cheese, cut into 8 even slices

• 1 large egg, for egg wash

• 2 tablespoons water, split into two portions

• ½ cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), then line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

2. Lay your thawed puff pastry out on a lightly floured clean work surface, rolling it gently to smooth out creases. Cut the sheet in half vertically, then in half horizontally to form 4 equal rectangles, and set these pieces aside.

3. Scoop 1 tablespoon of hot pepper jelly into the center of 4 evenly spaced spots on your prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Top each dollop of jelly with 2 slices of cream cheese, then place one cut puff pastry rectangle over each filling stack. Press firmly along all outer edges of the pastry to seal the filling inside.

4. In a small bowl, whisk your egg together with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush a thin even layer of this mixture over the top of each pastry to get a glossy golden crust after baking.

5. Bake the tarts in your preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the puff pastry is fully puffed and deep golden brown. Let the tarts cool for 2 minutes, then carefully flip them right-side up to reveal a neat finished shape.

6. To make the spicy icing: add your remaining hot pepper jelly to a small microwave-safe bowl, and heat it for 8 to 10 seconds just to loosen the jelly. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of water and all of the confectioners’ sugar until you get a smooth, pourable glaze.

7. Drizzle the finished icing evenly over the tops of your tarts, serve immediately, and enjoy!