Briony's puff pastry wheels
These puff pastry wheels are the perfect picnic snack and you can enjoy them two ways - sweet or savoury!
Puff pastry wheel two ways
Tomato and thyme
A tear and share recipe that will feed the family as a snack
Ingredients
2 x 375g pack ready made, pre-rolled puff pastry
1 tbsp olive oil
400g cherry tomatoes
5g fresh thyme
Juice and zest of a lemon
200g soft cheese
1 egg
Method
1. Oven on to 200°C fan/220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half. Chop the thyme finely. Heat a frying pan, add the olive oil and a pinch of salt. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes and juice of half a lemon, cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down. Add the thyme, some pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes until it has a sauce like consistency. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix the soft cheese, juice of half a lemon and zest together until smooth.
4. Fold out the first pack of puff pastry and use a dinner plate to cut out a circle. Place on the prepared tray. Cut out an 8cm hole in the middle (this is where your ramekin of salsa will go). Beat the egg and use a pastry brush to egg wash the edge of the ramekin hole.
5. Spread the soft cheese mixture around the pastry in a thin layer. Top with the tomato mixture and spread evenly. Cut another dinner plate sized circle from the other pack of puff pastry and the ramekin hole. Place on top of the tomato mixture and press down gently. Use a fork to press down and seal the inner seam (where the ramekin will be).
6. Use a sharp knife to make a cut ½ cm in from the ramekin hole to the outside of the wheel. Repeat the cuts all the way around, 2cm apart, to make strips. Pick up the end of each strip and twist twice. Repeat with the remaining strips.
7. Brush any visible pastry with the egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
8. Serve warm or leave to cool. Remove the wheel from the baking tray and (this bit is optional!) place a ramekin in the hole then fill with sour cream or salsa.
Cream cheese, chocolate spread and hazelnuts
A tear and share recipe that will feed the family as a snack
Ingredients
2 x 375g pack ready made, pre-rolled puff pastry
150g chocolate spread
150g soft cheese
1 egg
50g roasted chopped hazelnuts
Method
1. Oven on to 200°C fan/220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Fold out the first pack of puff pastry and use a dinner plate to cut out a circle. Place on the prepared tray. Cut out an 8cm hole in the middle. Beat the egg and use a pastry brush to egg wash the inner edge of the pastry.
3. Spread the soft cheese mixture around the pastry in a thin layer then spread the chocolate spread over the top. Cut another dinner plate sized circle from the other pack of puff pastry and the 8cm hole . Place on top of the chocolate spread mixture and press down gently. Use a fork to press down and seal the inner seam.
4. Use a sharp knife to make a cut ½ cm in from the inner edge to the outside of the wheel. Repeat the cuts all the way around, 2cm apart, to make strips. Pick up the end of each strip and twist twice. Repeat with the remaining strips.
5. Brush any visible pastry with the egg wash and then sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
6. Serve warm or leave to cool.