Not only are these pepperoni pizza petal puffs adorable and look just like flowers, but they taste great, too! I found this recipe (which I modified some) on https://realhousemoms.com/wprm_print/60989 and wanted to give a shout out to blogger Aubrey for her inspiration for this yummy and pretty appetizer.

The first time I made these tasty pizza puffs, I used regular pepperoni and it was really salty (even for this salt-a-holic), plus the pepperoni browned too much before the end of the cooking time. Oops!

So the next time, I used turkey pepperoni and covered the pan with aluminum foil for part of the cooking time, which resulted in pizza  puffs that were less salty and perfectly browned. I may try reduced sodium pepperoni the next time I make them, and there definitely will be a next time as these things are addictive!

These perfect pizza puffs refrigerate for several days. I like to reheat them in my air fryer for a few minutes or else in a cast iron skillet.

Ingredients (Makes 12 pizza puffs)

• 13.2 oz. package of fresh puff pastry – I like Welwalka (Note – you may also use a 17.3 oz. package of frozen puff pastry, thawed.)
• 1 cup pizza or marinara sauce (use leftover sauce for dipping)
• 1½  cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. package sliced turkey pepperoni
• Dried oregano, to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly spray muffin tin cups with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.

Unfold puff pastry sheet and cut into 12 equal squares. Place each dough square into a cup of the sprayed pan and press down slightly. Add about a tablespoon of pizza sauce to each cup, or enough to cover the bottom of each pastry. Next, add about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese to each cup and sprinkle with oregano and red pepper flakes. Then, add 6 pepperoni slices to each cup, 5 around the sides and 1 on the bottom.

.

Lastly, top with additional mozzarella cheese.

Bake the pizza puffs for 20 to 25 minutes or so. After about 10 minutes or so, cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Remove from oven and let cool on a baking rack for about 5 minutes before serving. These are great on their own as an appetizer or served with a side salad for a tasty lunch or dinner.

Enjoy!

Eat, drink and be merry!

Follow Kel’s Café on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kelscafe