Cream Cheese and Pepper Jelly Tart

When sweet, spicy pepper jelly came on the market in 1970s Texas, it tore through the American South. Many dishes were born of it, among them cream cheese and pepper jelly dip, a storied party appetizer that my in-laws in Virginia first introduced me to in 2018. The dip had the ideal balance of sweet, savory, and creamy. Could it get any easier than dumping a jar of pepper jelly on a block of Philadelphia's finest? Probably not. One might think it's impossible to improve upon, but one might be forgetting about puff pastry. 

Frozen puff pastry is the home cook's best friend: It's a convenient option that saves you from hours of making it from scratch. Not all frozen puff pastry is created equal, though. It was a rude awakening for me some years ago when I learned that most puff pastry brands don't actually contain butter. In a recipe as straightforward as this—where the flavor of every single element matters—you want every ingredient to be the best possible version of itself. That's why I highly recommend reaching for puff pastry made with actual butter, which will be richer and more flavorful than one made with vegetable shortening and/or palm oil.

I tested two versions of this tart during development. In one, I baked a sheet of puff pastry until done, then spread it with cream cheese and pepper jelly while it was still warm. I even returned it to the oven just long enough for the two ingredients to melt slightly and meld together. It was tasty, but that brief spin in the oven wasn't enough to really bring the cream cheese and pepper jelly together. They still tasted like their same old selves, only warmer. 

The second version was far more successful: spreading the cream cheese and pepper jelly onto a raw sheet of puff pastry before baking. The result is a more sophisticated tart, both visually and texturally. The cream cheese firms up slightly in the oven, while the pepper jelly thickens and intensifies in flavor. Scoring the edges creates a border that rises above the center, which I chose to season with salt and pepper for additional flavor.

Be sure to briefly freeze the tart before baking: If the pastry is too warm, the butter will melt onto the baking sheet instead of staying trapped in the dough. Keeping the pastry as cold as possible ensures the butter stays solid until it hits the oven, where it'll melt and produce steam, lifting the layers for impressive height. 

Use Your Favorite Pepper Jelly

Pepper jelly comes in a wide variety of flavors, colors, and textures, and all of them are acceptable here. Some are made with bell peppers and have a vegetal note, but no heat. Then there's jalapeño or habanero pepper jelly, which packs a punch if you're looking for a spicier tart. Others have a more savory profile, incorporating garlic or herbs, while others are sweeter, mixing the peppers with fruits like cherries or strawberries. Of course, you can always make your own for true customization.