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Snack & Appetizers

Puff Pastry Cups with Smoked Salmon Roses

Crisp puff pastry cups filled with avocado cream and smoked salmon shaped into roses: an easy, quick appetizer for holiday parties.
Recipe Puff Pastry Cups with Smoked Salmon Roses
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 15 minutes
  • Cooking 20 minutes
  • Servings for 6 cups

These puff pastry cups with salmon roses are an elegant, eye-catching appetizer, perfect for impressing your guests on any special occasion. This recipe brings together the crunch of puff pastry, the creaminess of avocado and the delicacy of smoked salmon, creating a pairing of Mediterranean flavors that wins you over from the first bite. Originally popular in Italian kitchens as a finger food for the aperitivo or a buffet appetizer, this recipe has earned a permanent place on holiday tables thanks to its flawless presentation: the slices of salmon rolled into roses give the dish an almost artistic look that catches the eye immediately.

The avocado cream, inspired by classic Mexican guacamole but given an Italian twist with onion and lemon, takes just a few minutes with a simple immersion blender and pairs perfectly with the smoky, salty flavor of the salmon. The puff pastry, which you can buy ready-made at the supermarket, is cut into circles and pressed into tart molds, then baked until golden and crisp. The result is perfect cups to fill as you like.

This recipe suits both beginners and more experienced cooks who want to save time without giving up a wow effect. It knows no season: you can enjoy it in summer or winter, at Christmas or Easter, at an aperitivo with friends or at an elegant banquet. These puff pastry cups with salmon roses are proof that with a few quality ingredients you can bring something truly special to the table.

Ingredients for 6 cups

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Method

  1. To make the puff pastry cups with salmon roses, start with the avocado cream: remove the skin and pit from the avocado and transfer the flesh to the cup of an immersion blender. Add the white onion, fine salt and the juice of half a lemon, then blend until you have a smooth, even cream. Set aside.
    Puff Pastry Cups with Smoked Salmon Roses, step 1: avocado, onion, salt and lemon juice blended into a cream
  2. Unroll the puff pastry on the work surface and, using a ring cutter about 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter, cut out 6 circles. Place each circle inside an individual tart mold, raising the edges to form a cup. Prick the bottom with the tines of a fork to keep bubbles from forming as it bakes.
    Puff Pastry Cups with Smoked Salmon Roses, step 2: puff pastry circles pressed into individual tart molds
  3. Bake the cups in an oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F) for about 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before filling them.
    Puff Pastry Cups with Smoked Salmon Roses, step 3: golden baked puff pastry cups
  4. Once cool, fill the cups generously with the avocado cream. Take each slice of smoked salmon, roll it up on itself starting from one end to create the shape of a rose, and place it in the center of each cup.
    Puff Pastry Cups with Smoked Salmon Roses, step 4: cups filled with avocado cream and topped with salmon roses
  5. Finish the dish by sprinkling a few drops of lemon juice over the salmon roses and adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the cups on a serving plate with a few lettuce leaves and serve right away. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

Instead of the avocado cream, you can use a cream cheese such as Philadelphia mixed with chives and grated lemon zest. For an even richer version, you can add some lumpfish roe or salmon roe on top of the rose for a touch of color and savoriness. As an alternative to smoked salmon, the recipe also works well with tuna carpaccio or swordfish bresaola (air-cured swordfish).

Tips

For perfectly crisp cups, make sure the puff pastry is well chilled before baking it. For an even more striking effect, you can use whole slices of smoked salmon rather than pre-cut ones: larger slices let you create fuller roses. For an even richer version, add a few drops of soy sauce to the avocado cream.

Storage

The puff pastry cups with salmon roses keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, covered with plastic wrap. We recommend filling them only just before serving to keep the pastry crisp.

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