Caramelized Endive–Blue Cheese “Cigars” (Rough Puff, Walnut Crunch + Black Pepper Honey)

Name: Caramelized Endive–Blue Cheese “Cigars” (Rough Puff, Walnut Crunch + Black Pepper Honey)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 250 g All-purpose flour; 6 g Fine sea salt; 225 g Unsalted butter (cold); 120 g Ice water; 5 g Apple cider vinegar; 4 Endives; 15 g Olive oil; 30 g Unsalted butter; 12 g Granulated sugar; 10 g Dijon mustard; 10 g Sherry vinegar; 2 g Black pepper; 60 g Walnuts; 90 g Blue cheese; 60 g Crème fraîche; 1 Egg; 15 g Water; 2 g Flaky salt; 45 g Honey; 1 g More black pepper

These are my movie-night, one-hand pastries: tight little rough-puff cigars packed with jammy caramelized endives, salty blue cheese, and toasted walnuts. You get shattery layers outside, plush savory-sweet inside, and a glossy black-pepper honey finish that tastes like a Paris café decided to flirt with your aperitif.

Camille Roux

February 8, 2026

Prep: 45 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

medium

snackappetizer

rough puffone-hand snackcaramelized endiveaperitif+1

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Ingredients

250 g All-purpose flour(plus extra for dusting)
6 g Fine sea salt(about 1 tsp, for dough)
225 g Unsalted butter (cold)(cultured if you can; cut into 1.5 cm cubes and chilled)
120 g Ice water(plus 1–2 tbsp as needed)
5 g Apple cider vinegar(1 tsp; helps tenderness without making it “bready”)
4 Endives(Belgian endives, about 450–550 g total)
15 g Olive oil(1 tbsp)
30 g Unsalted butter(2 tbsp, for caramelizing endives)
12 g Granulated sugar(1 tbsp; just enough to push caramelization)
10 g Dijon mustard(2 tsp)
10 g Sherry vinegar(2 tsp; or apple cider vinegar)
2 g Black pepper(freshly ground, to taste)
60 g Walnuts(toasted and finely chopped)
90 g Blue cheese(crumbled; Roquefort/Gorgonzola/Stilton)
60 g Crème fraîche(or thick Greek yogurt; binds filling)
1 Egg(for egg wash)
15 g Water(1 tbsp, to loosen egg wash)
2 g Flaky salt(for finishing)
45 g Honey(3 tbsp)
1 g More black pepper(for honey drizzle)

Instructions

1
Make the rough puff (one bowl). In a large bowl, whisk 250 g All-purpose flour and 6 g Fine sea salt. Toss in the 225 g Unsalted butter (cold) cubes until each piece is coated. Smash about 1/3 of the butter pieces between your fingers into flat “cards,” leaving the rest as chunky cubes (that’s your lamination in plain clothes).
8 min
Tip: Cold butter is non-negotiable. If it starts to feel soft or greasy, stop and chill the bowl 10 minutes.
2
Hydrate. Mix 120 g Ice water with 5 g Apple cider vinegar. Drizzle over the flour-butter mixture and stir with a fork until shaggy. Squeeze a handful: it should hold together with dry crumbs still showing. Add 1–2 tbsp extra ice water only if it won’t clump.
3 min
Tip: Too wet = tight like a bad alibi. We want just-enough hydration so layers can separate in the oven.
3
Fraisage + first fold. Tip onto the counter and do a quick fraisage (smear): push the dough forward with the heel of your hand 2–3 times to streak butter through the flour, then gather into a rough rectangle. Roll to about 20 x 35 cm, then do a book fold (fold both short ends to meet, then fold in half like a book). Wrap and chill 20 minutes.
25 min
Tip: Fraisage (smear) is the shortcut that builds layers without fussy turns.
4
Second and third folds. Repeat: roll to 20 x 35 cm, book fold, chill 20 minutes. Do one more roll + book fold, then chill at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
75 min
Tip: Fridge is your friend. If you have the time, an overnight rest bakes up extra shattery.
5
Caramelize the endives. Halve 4 Endives lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1 cm ribbons (core included). Heat 15 g Olive oil + 30 g Unsalted butter in a wide pan over medium-high. Add endives and 12 g Granulated sugar with a pinch of salt. Cook, tossing, until deeply bronzed and jammy, 12–15 minutes.
15 min
Tip: Wide pan = evaporation. If the pan is crowded, endive steams and stays pale.
6
Season and cool. Stir in 10 g Dijon mustard, 10 g Sherry vinegar, and 2 g Black pepper. Cook 30 seconds. Scrape onto a plate and cool completely.
5 min
Tip: Don’t fill warm—heat melts butter in the dough and you lose layers.
7
Make filling. In a bowl, mix cooled endives with 60 g Walnuts, 90 g Blue cheese, and 60 g Crème fraîche. Taste: you want salty-sweet with a sharp edge. Chill 10 minutes so it firms up.
12 min
Tip: Crème fraîche is my binder: it keeps the filling creamy without leaking like a sauce.
8
Roll and cut for tight shaping. Heat oven to 215°C / 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Roll dough to a 30 x 40 cm rectangle, about 3 mm thick. Trim edges for clean layers. Cut into 12 rectangles (about 10 x 10 cm).
12 min
Tip: Trim is not vanity—clean edges rise cleaner and flakier.
9
Fill and shape “cigars.” Place 1 heaping tbsp filling along one edge of each square, leaving 1.5 cm margin on the sides. Fold sides in, roll up tightly like a little burrito, seam-side down. Chill on the tray 15 minutes.
20 min
Tip: Tight roll = contained filling + better lift. Chill sets the butter so the oven can do the puffing.
10
Bake. Whisk 1 Egg with 15 g Water, brush cigars, and sprinkle with 2 g Flaky salt. Bake 18–22 minutes until deeply golden, with visible layers and a light wobble (not soft). Cool 5 minutes.
25 min
Tip: Color is flavor. If they’re blond, they’ll taste like buttered paper.
11
Pepper honey finish. Warm 45 g Honey just to loosen (microwave 10 seconds or tiny pan). Stir in 1 g More black pepper. Drizzle lightly over hot-warm cigars (or serve for dipping).
3 min
Tip: Light drizzle, not a flood. You’re glazing the top notes, not turning this into dessert.

Chef's Notes

This one’s personal: endives were the quiet chic on my Paris family table—usually with vinaigrette, never loud. Here I caramelize them until they taste like a savory jam, then tuck them into rough puff because butter is not a garnish. Why it works: the sugar boosts browning, the vinegar pulls the bitterness into balance, and the crème fraîche keeps the filling creamy without breaking the pastry. Cami’s shortcut note: Make the dough up to 2 days ahead. You can also fully shape the cigars, freeze on a tray, then bag. Bake from frozen at 215°C / 425°F, adding 4–6 minutes. Don’t skip this: chill the shaped cigars before baking. Warm dough = smeared butter = flat, tight layers. You want shattery, lacy lift.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Caramelized Endive–Blue Cheese “Cigars” (Rough Puff, Walnut Crunch + Black Pepper Honey) take to make?

Caramelized Endive–Blue Cheese “Cigars” (Rough Puff, Walnut Crunch + Black Pepper Honey) takes about 1 hour 10 minutes total. That includes 45 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking.

How many servings does this recipe make?

This recipe makes 12 servings.

What skill level is needed for Caramelized Endive–Blue Cheese “Cigars” (Rough Puff, Walnut Crunch + Black Pepper Honey)?

This recipe is rated medium — it's intermediate, requiring some cooking experience.

What ingredients do I need for Caramelized Endive–Blue Cheese “Cigars” (Rough Puff, Walnut Crunch + Black Pepper Honey)?

The main ingredients are: All-purpose flour, Fine sea salt, Unsalted butter (cold), Ice water, Apple cider vinegar, Endives, Olive oil, Unsalted butter, Granulated sugar, Dijon mustard, Sherry vinegar, Black pepper, Walnuts, Blue cheese, Crème fraîche, Egg, Water, Flaky salt, Honey, More black pepper.

What type of meal is Caramelized Endive–Blue Cheese “Cigars” (Rough Puff, Walnut Crunch + Black Pepper Honey)?

Caramelized Endive–Blue Cheese “Cigars” (Rough Puff, Walnut Crunch + Black Pepper Honey) is categorized as: snack, appetizer.

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