Stuffed Golden Cross Goats Cheese Recipe

Prepare spinach

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the baby spinach (2 cups) and cook, stirring, just until wilted, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer spinach to a fine sieve or bowl; press gently to remove excess moisture. Chop roughly if leaves are large.

Combine filling ingredients

In a medium bowl, crumble the goat's cheese (200 g) with a fork. Add the drained, chopped pickled artichoke hearts (1 cup), chopped black olives (1 cup), julienned sun-blushed tomatoes (6 pieces), sliced basil leaves (8 leaves), lemon zest (1 tsp), black pepper (1 tsp) and salt (1/2 tsp). Add the wilted and drained spinach. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and fold gently to combine into a cohesive but slightly chunky filling. Taste and adjust seasoning: add a pinch more salt or pepper if needed.

Preheat and prepare pastry

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (conventional) or 180°C / 350°F (fan). Lightly dust your work surface with 1 teaspoon flour. Unfold the puff pastry sheet and, if necessary, roll lightly to remove creases and to achieve an approximately 25 x 25 cm square. Keep chilled until ready to fill.

Cut and shape

On the pastry square, mark a central cross or X shape (do not cut fully through) to guide where the pastry will be folded — alternatively, cut four flaps by slicing from the corners toward the center leaving a 5 cm square in the middle. Spoon the goat's cheese and vegetable filling into the central square, mounding slightly but leaving about 1 cm clear around the center to allow sealing.

Fold pastry

Brush the outer 1 cm edge of the pastry with a little beaten egg. Fold the four flaps over the filling to create a neat, cross-shaped package (or fold triangles toward the center if you used corner cuts), overlapping slightly and pressing lightly to seal. Brush the entire exposed pastry surface with beaten egg. Sprinkle sesame or nigella seeds (1 tsp) over the top if using.

Bake

Place the assembled pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown and the filling is warmed through. If the edges brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.

Rest

Remove from oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a cooling rack for 2–3 minutes before slicing to serve. This helps the goat's cheese filling hold its shape.

Arrange mixed salad leaves or extra baby spinach (2 cups) on a serving plate. Drizzle with balsamic glaze (2 tbs). Place slices or the whole golden cross on the salad and serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in a 180°C / 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes until crisp.