Local Blue Cheese, Jamón & Nísperos Puff Pastries- What a Combo
There is something special about creating simple food with ingredients gathered from local markets and producers - flavours that already carry the warmth, character and traditions of the region before you even begin cooking.
These Blue Cheese & Nísperos Pastries were inspired by ingredients gathered right here in Nerja — rich Andalusian blue cheese bought at the fabulous Sabor a Málaga Market- when they visited Nerja and sweet sun-ripened nísperos picked up at Nerja’s Tuesday Local Market. Combined with local olives, nuts, cured meats and fresh seasonal produce, they create the perfect little bite for long summer evenings, terrace gatherings and relaxed aperitivo moments
The creamy blue cheese brings depth and richness, beautifully balanced by the sweet tang of homemade nísperos jam made from fruit bought fresh at the market. Add caramelised onions, crispy jamón or bacon, a chilled glass of wine, bowls of local olives and roasted nuts, and suddenly it becomes more than just tapas - it becomes a celebration of local flavour and slow Mediterranean living.
Cheese, Cream Cheese & Jamón Pastries with Nísperos Jam
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry
100 g blue cheese
100 g cream cheese
1 small red or brown onion, finely sliced
4–5 slices jamón serrano or bacon
2–3 tablespoons Nísperos jam - See our Nisperos Recipe or use any sweet jam
1 tablespoon olive oil
Black pepper to taste
Optional:
Fresh thyme or rosemary
Chopped walnuts
Honey drizzle
1 egg for egg wash
Rocket leaves for serving
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and gently cook the onion over medium-low heat for about 15–20 minutes until soft, golden and lightly caramelised.
If using bacon, fry until crispy and mix with the onion. If using jamón, you can either crisp it lightly in the pan or place it directly onto the pastry before baking.
In a bowl, mix together the blue cheese and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Season lightly with black pepper.
Cut the puff pastry into squares, rectangles or small tart circles and place onto a lined baking tray.
Spread a spoonful of the cheese mixture onto each pastry piece, leaving a small border around the edges.
You can make these pastries either as elegant open puff pastry squares topped with the filling and top with the onion mixture and pieces of jamón or bacon. Or as closed little parcels with the creamy blue cheese, onion mixture baked inside and a spoonful of warm Nísperos jam added on top just before serving.
Optional: sprinkle with walnuts or a little fresh thyme.
Brush the pastry edges with egg wash for a golden finish.
Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and beautifully golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before adding small spoonfuls or delicate drizzles of Nísperos jam over the top.
Optional: finish with rocket leaves, extra thyme or a tiny drizzle of honey.
Freezer:
Freeze before baking.
To freeze before baking:
Assemble pastries
Freeze flat on a tray first
Then transfer to freezer bags or containers
Bake directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes cooking time.
Keeps for up to 2 months.
Tip:
The combination of salty blue cheese, creamy filling and sweet Nísperos jam creates the perfect balance of rich, savoury and fruity flavours.
Jamón gives them a more elegant Spanish touch, while bacon creates a smokier and heartier version. You can also use the filling and the nisperos jam with crackers.
What to Serve Them With
Perfect as:
Tapas for sharing
A wine-night appetiser
Summer terrace bites
Part of a cheese board spread
Picnic pastries
These pastries feel wonderfully rustic yet sophisticated - perfect for relaxed evenings, guests popping in, or a little “market-to-table” treat at home.
