It’s the wee hours of Sunday morning and if there’s something I know, it’s that I’m not going to be brunching today. I’m still incredibly jet-lagged (we flew back on Thursday!), which isn’t such a bad thing for us night owls. I rather enjoy being awake while the entire city is asleep. I’ve always had a thing for that space in between, when everyone is either falling asleep or waking up.
With that being said, being home is going to take some getting used to, and I’m not just talking about the time zone! I hate to complain, but it’s so wet here, it’s almost like we’re living in a rainforest! (Okay, fine, the Pacific North West actually is a rainforest, so there’s that.) It’s pretty different from the dry and sunny Tokyo weather I’ve gotten used to.
I don’t mind the rain so much though, it makes it super cozy, at least while I’m inside. Rain makes everything so dreamy, but these cheese twists are especially so. Cheese twists are one of my favorite things to make and eat. They’re incredibly simple (especially when you use store bought puff pastry) yet somehow just a touch impressive.
Cheese twists are delicate and savory and completely irresistible when right out of the oven. They’re so, so good with just puff pastry and cheese but when I made these a couple of weeks ago, I had some bacon and jalapeños in the fridge so I couldn’t quite resist making a spicy-savory twist. And because I like soft boiled eggs so much, I boiled up some 6 minute eggs and used the twists as little soldiers for dipping.
Crunchy cheese, crisp bacon, spicy jalapeños, and decadent puff pastry dipped into soft boiled eggs. Now this is a brunch that I’d totally try to get over jet lag for! If only my fridge wasn’t empty…
Happy Sunday friends!
PS – This is probably a touch incoherent. Okay, let’s face it, a lot!
Jalapeño Bacon Puff Pastry Cheese Twists Recipe
makes 12
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 6 slices of bacon, cut in half the long way
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- soft boiled eggs, if desired
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a cutting board, lay out your puff pastry. Brush the sheet with egg and top with cheese and jalapeños. Carefully fold the puff in half and press down firmly but gently to seal. Cut into 12 even strips. Take a slice of bacon and one of the cheese twists and twist together and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the twists until golden brown and bacon is cooked through, about 35-45 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before enjoying warm or with soft boiled eggs, if desired.
I made this recipe last night for a Christmas party and they turned out fantastic, thank you! Everyone was really impressed, and they looked pretty fancy sticking out of a few glasses. Next time I think I’ll make a double batch!
I did cook them on a cooling rack on top of a baking pan since I was worried about grease from the bacon and that worked nicely (although they did stick to the cooling rack).